


Reality Chronicles Owen's Journey

by IntrestsoftheMind



Series: Reality Chronicles Arc 1 [5]
Category: Disgaea (Games), Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
Genre: Action/Adventure, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-09-25 11:46:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 85,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9819005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntrestsoftheMind/pseuds/IntrestsoftheMind
Summary: A boy content with who he was...as far as he was concerned. A girl who was wrought with turmoil...and dealt with it in a less than ideal fashion. She was given a chance that he dragged her into; he was shown a reality he never thought he would have to face. In the Netherworld pasts are faced and delusions are broken...but in the end...it all leads to the same conclusion.





	1. Where it all begins

I pushed everyone aside with everything I could, heading towards my goal; come on, I want this, I need this, I will get it! Finally pushing the last man away I jumped and crashed into the grass feeling my skin skid across the grass, I did it!

"Touchdown!" The coach yelled as I stood up and dusted myself off; I was breathing heavily and felt my heart still pounding rapidly. The coach walked up and put his arm over my shoulder and laughed loudly, "That's the stuff kid! You're definitely my best quarterback!" He punched me in the arm and I chuckled.

"Thanks coach." I replied brushing his arm off.

"Alright, practice is over for the day, everyone get washed up and head home for the day! Remember that our big game with Gateway High school is in a few months!" I watched as everyone began walking away, "We'll be practicing every day we can until the big game so be ready to work hard." That's what he said about the fight against Smokey Hill and they could barely take us…well, me.

"Hey hotshot!" I turned my head to see a few of the other football players talking to me, "You ran through us like a train. I've got a few bruises thanks to you."

"…And?"

"Maybe you should be more careful. You owe me an apology." Another one.

"…I don't owe you jack." I replied and he gripped his fist tightly, "It's your fault for being so weak that you can't handle a little shove."

"What did you say jack ass!?"

"What are you deaf too?" He rushed at me and pulled his fist back.

"Hey!" Before he struck, coach yelled stopping him in his tracks, "Don't you hurt him! He's our star player and unless you want detention then you'll walk away right now!" I saw his hand tremble before he and his goonies walked away…, "Sorry about that champ." I looked down at my own hand to see it was trembling slightly like always

"Whatever, I'm gonna hit the showers." I replied walking towards the locker room. They could never take me on anyway.

Ever since I was a kid I had a knack for football but maybe that was because I was always much more physically fit then any of the other kids I knew and I didn't mind, it made it easier to beat my friends at anything they challenged me to. Arm wrestling, races, tag, climbing, name any physical challenge and I could beat any of my friends…and that's how it should have been, I was the best so losing wasn't an option…and football wasn't any different. Drying off my medium length blonde hair I stepped towards my locker and grabbed my brown t-shirt and blue jeans slipping them on, grabbing my white shoes I reached for my blue zip up hoodie and slipped it on as I left the locker room. I bumped into something and looked to see a long brown haired girl looking down as she stepped back.

"Sorry." She said simply as she walked away; I watched her as she walked away and took notice of her clothing, she wore mostly black colors but it wasn't chains and piercings like the goths…just a black hoodie and black pants…she must be part of the emo group…doesn't matter anyway.

"Excuse me." I looked over to see a boy about my age looking at me, "You're part of the football team right?"

"…Yes."

"Perfect, would you mind if I hit you with this kendo sword then?" W-What!?

"U-Um…why?"

"Well I have a bet with my friends in the kendo club; if I'm able to make someone fall to the ground with one blow then they'll pay for lunch tomorrow. I said it was an easy bet and so they upped the ante. If I can take down a football player then they'll pay for whatever I want off the menu. I'm gonna eat like a king!" So he's doing a test of strength…looks like he's going to lose then.

"Very well go ahead, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to though."

"We'll see about that." He replied moving into a strange stance; I moved into a defensive stance and braced myself for his attack, I watched his eyes dart around before he stepped forward and swung at me; as his hit struck my arms I felt the sting and suddenly my guard was broken as I flew backwards landing on my back…WHAT!? I sat up in shock and looked at the boy who took a deep breath moving the blade into his right hand and stepped forward, "Man you were tougher than I thought." …Tougher…then he thought? He outstretched his hand and I felt the urge to stand and punch him in the face…but held back gripping his hand and standing up, "Thanks, now I can eat like I'm having my last meal! Hey, why don't you come with me?" …Was he serious?

"What are you doing?" We turned to see a girl with a confused look approaching us…she gave off a slightly cold feeling.

"Hey, I just won the bet!" He returned.

"Really? …Who's this guy?" She asked pointing at me.

"The football player I just knocked over."

"…He seems to be standing."

"Ack! W-Well I did knock him over."

"The proof seems to be against you!" She yelled knocking him on the head, "You idiot, you were supposed to bring the football player to us and then try it."

"B-But I did do it! He can attest to that."

"And how do we know you didn't pay him."

"Ngh!"

"…And he falls apart." I watched them talk and felt my head slightly hurt as they chattered about how to prove this…agh!

"If I go with you then will you stop this nonsense!?" I yelled and they looked at me before the boy nodded, "Fine…let's go to your kendo club."

I fell backwards again landing on the padded mat as the boy had knocked me over again; even when I put everything I had into absorbing his blow it still wasn't enough…and it pissed me off!

"See? I can do it."

"So you say, for all we know it could have been a fall for free food." A rather energetic boy said with a chuckle which the boy who hit me returned.

"Whatever, like you could have done better."

"W-Well I think you did well." A squeamish looking girl responded

"Thanks, it's nice to see someone supports me." He said and the cold girl hit his head again.

"It's not like I don't support you but don't expect me to just praise you for nothing."

"I know…still it would be nice to hear something at least."

"F-Fine…y-you did really well." She turned red as she said that.

"Thanks."

"D-D-Don't expect it all the time you idiot!"…I was beaten by this go-lucky kid…he had the strength to take me down…how!? He didn't even have any muscle to his body!

"Oh yeah, thanks a lot buddy." The boy said turning back to me, "How about we treat you to something to eat?"…So he's mocking me…

"No…I have to get home." With that I walked out of the room and slammed the door behind me. When I got home I spent the rest of the day doing exercises until my body ached all over…it was the first time I had to do that in my life.

"And that's it for the day." Coach said and I took a deep breath; why did football practice feel tougher this time…must have been all that exercise from last night…but that kendo club really pissed me off, "Hey Champ?" I turned to coach who gave me a worried look, "You seem a little out of it today. Is everything okay?"…That guy.

"I'm fine." I replied, "I just don't feel like wasting my energy is all."

"Tch, cocky bastard." I heard a few of the other players behind me but ignored them; they weren't worth my time.

"I'm leaving now. I'll see you tomorrow." Passing by the others I felt icy glares and angry looks at me but ignored them…I was used to it. As I walked down the hall I looked over to see the girl clothed in black from earlier standing outside a room; I approached it and heard laughter coming from beyond the door, "What are you doing?" I asked the girl and she jumped slightly before rushing away…whatever. I stood at the door and realized I was standing in front of the kendo clubs room…it must be them then; I opened the door and looked to see all four of the people from earlier eating ramen and talking.

"This feels like some sort of generic anime scene where all the friends are having lunch together." The cold girl said.

"In reality it's because I'm poor." The energetic boy said with a chuckle.

"I like ramen so it's no problem for me." The other boy said with a smile as he slurped up his noodles, "Best way to end kendo practice if you ask me."

"Yep." The squeamish girl said with a smile, "We should do this again."

"Once a week please." The energetic boy pleaded.

"That's what you get for losing a bet and wasting your allowance." The cold girl said with a smile slurping up her noodles.

"How about we all take a day out of the week and have one of us buy ramen for the group?" The boy suggested and everyone looked at him contemplating what he said.

"I-I wouldn't mind doing that." The squeamish girl said.

"Sounds interesting." The cold girl added, "And what about his bet?"

"We'll just forget it." The boy replied downing his broth, "Ahhh, that's good stuff."

"You're too passive." The cold girl replied setting her bowl down.

"You don't mind do you?"

"No…it's one of your likable qualities." She turned red again.

"It's too much fun to watch you two talk." The energetic one said chuckling.

"Shut it!"

"Huh? It's him." The squeamish girl said pointing at him making everyone turn their heads to me.

"Hey, it's the football guy from yesterday!" The boy said with a grin; he stood up and approached me, "It's nice to see you again." He put out his hand and I stared at it…that's not what I came here for.

"I want you to strike me again."

"Huh?"

"Well it looks like you've got a fan." The cold girl said with a giggle.

"Is he a masochist?" The energetic boy asked laughing, "I don't see why anyone would want to be hit again."

"I-If he is then this could be a bigger issue." The squeamish girl said pulling out a book, "You might want to carry pepper spray."

"I am not a masochist!" I shouted at them making the squeamish one cower, "You're the first one I've met who can actually take me down. I don't want to let that stand so I'm asking you to hit me again so I can take it and stay on top."

"Wait…I know you!" The squeamish one shouted, "He's the lead quarter back of the school football team! They call him the meteor with how he knocks through his opposition. They say he could have taken on Smokey Hills team single handedly if the rules allowed it." So they knew me.

"…I've never heard of you." The boy said to my surprise.

"That's not surprising considering you never follow sports." The cold girl said stepping forward, "Sorry about him, he's an idiot."

"…I'm not here for you." I said to the girl, "I'm here to take him on." I pointed to the boy.

"So you want to fight me?" He asked and I nodded, "…Okay." He picked up a kendo blade and swung it almost effortlessly, "But I'm not going to just hit you. If you want we can have a fight." A fight?

"…Very well. I shall give you a fight then." Moving to one side I took a deep breath and adjusted my stance, "I should warn you that I am a black belt in karate." They all gave a small gasp of surprise.

"Then this should be interesting…one minute." He put the wooden sword down and placed kendo armor on, "I'd rather not get injured from your hits…knowing karate you must have formidable muscles so you won't need armor."

"Correct." He lifted his blade and the energetic boy moved in the middle of us.

"This will be fun…begin!"

I moved in quickly and began striking at him as he blocked and dodged my attacks occasionally with short retaliations at my arms and legs when they came close to his body; it was strange to think that he could retaliate with such small windows but he managed to pull it off. I backed away and took a few breaths as he looked at me with an intense look of concentration; what was this kid…how was he able to take me on…this had never happened before…it felt…refreshing…and yet infuriating! He dashed forward and began to swing and thrust at me as I attempted to dodge and redirect his attack to no avail…why was I doing so badly!? This has never happened before! Suddenly he thrust and I was thrown back against the floor…and I didn't have the strength to move.

"I…guess that's the match?" The energetic boy said in surprise.

"That sucked, I could have done that." The cold girl said.

"It was faster than I expected." The squeamish girl said. The boy moved forward and extended his hand out towards me.

"It's been a while since you last practiced hasn't it?" I felt the overwhelming urge to sock him in the face…and I was really tempted to do it…but I couldn't muster the strength.

"…I can't move." I responded.

"Uh oh, sorry, must have hit you a bit too hard." …Too…hard?

"…What are you?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me, what are you!? How can you have so much strength!?" He scratched his head for a moment.

"I'm…someone really passionate about what I do." …Is that it…really?

"That can't be it…how can you be that strong and still just say that!?"

"It's kind of who he is." The cold girl said stepping forward, "He's stupid and yet when it comes down to it he's very passionate about what he does."

"Kendo…he's passionate about kendo?"

"Nope." The energetic boy said stepping forward with a big grin, "He's passionate about purpose." Purpose?

"What do you mean?"

"He wants to protect others purposes." The squeamish girl answered, "That's the reason we're all here. We stand behind him."

"I thought this was the kendo club?"

"It is but we don't spend much time actually doing kendo. It's more helping others in school than anything else."

"And you're our first client!" The boy said cheerfully, "You've spent a lot of your time with things coming easily haven't you?"

"And what if I have?"

"Well…I'm sure that's all well and good but…you'd be even stronger if you found something to use your talent for."…Is that true?

"What would it be?"

"…That's for you to find out."…Who was this boy?

"What's your name?"

"…It's Soren Thain."…Soren, "What about you?"

"…My name is Owen…Owen Richards."…I liked this kid.

My own purpose…something to make using what I have worthwhile…and a reason to improve it. Things always came naturally to me but…I've been alone because of it…any friends I've had have been pushed away by my strength…or maybe it was my hubris. I always thought I was better than others because time and again I proved that…and now I've lost to Soren…and he didn't gloat…he was even ignorant of his strength and…his friends didn't mind…because they stood behind his purpose…damn it, why don't I have that! I watched the sunset from the roof of the school and looked at the ramen cup Soren had given me…he seemed really well put together for someone so…weird and…stupid. His friends were even stranger with how they all seemed so different. That cold girl was as blunt as a sword edge and was still willing to support her friends in what they did while the energetic boy seemed to be there for the thrill and enjoyment…weird to think he could actually be any help in serious matters…and the squeamish girl was shy but…she seemed to be the smartest of the group…more knowledgeable than the others at least…I think I've seen her on the school's top students list. I looked at the flyer they made and was a little confused by what it said.

"Have an issue? No worries, we can help…or…at least try. Whether its boyfriend issues, girlfriends issues, life decisions or even just incredible boredom in class we can help! Come to the kendo club today and share your problem with us! Warning: We are not responsible for the destruction of how you view the world and everything in it."…That's just a weird warning in general…but their cause was just…and maybe I should give it a try. I stood up and was surprised to see a girl sitting on the edge of the roof; as I approached her she suddenly fell. I moved as quickly as I could and dove off the side reaching for the girl and once I grabbed her I pulled her in and waited for the impact to hit. I could hear various screams of students before suddenly a blinding light consumed us and the voices died…as…my consciousness…faded…

"WAKE UP!" I woke up with a start and scrambled around in a panic. What happened!? Where was I!? Who's around me!? I looked up to see a blue haired boy looking down at me with an angry look; he had no shirt on but he wore shorts and a scarf, "What the hell was that Etna!?"

"I'm not sure Prince, seems like something went a little haywire in the creation process." A girl in black leather clothing replied; she had re hair and short twin tails, her clothing left her body pretty uncovered and her tail swayed in the back…wait…TAIL!?

"Well this sucks." The boy said pouting.

"Come on Prince, you got two for the price of one." Two…the girl! I looked down to see the girl was okay; she looked at me in surprise and I moved off her as she sat up…I recognize her…she was the girl I ran into earlier today and the day before.

"W-Where are we?" She asked and I looked around; the area was full of strange creatures and the entire place was made of stone…was this a castle?

"You're at the Overlords Castle!" The boy answered, "And I am your master, Overlord Laharl!"

"Not Overlord yet." Etna replied.

"Shut it Etna, my old man is dead so the title is mine!" He shouted at her, "And you two will follow my every order as I work to enforce that! Tell me your names!"

"O-Owen Richards." I replied hesitantly. We looked over at the girl and she looked down sheepishly before saying her name softly.

"N-Nina Reist." I wasn't entirely sure what was happening but from what I could tell we were in some boiling water…and it was only going to get hotter for the both of us.


	2. New life in Hell

"Come on, you call that running! Move faster!" I heard the harsh crack of a whip and picked up my pace; the whip continued to crack behind me getting closer as I tried to go faster…Yeowch!

"Is that all you've got?" Laharl said as I rubbed where the whip had hit me on my back, "That's just pathetic." It's not like I asked to be thrown into your training torture pit.

"Maybe we should scrap this one prince." Etna offered.

"Well we don't have much of a choice in the matter. If I had woken up with more energy than I would gladly toss aside this useless fighter and make another stronger breed! Unfortunately I'm stuck with him…and her." He looked over at Nina and I looked to see her sitting in the corner clutching her knees, "Rrrrgh! Listen up, both of you! If you're going to stay alive then you better stop being useless! If you don't start showing your worth I'll throw both of you into the incinerator myself!" He was a really annoying brat!

"You hear that, you better get your wills in order then." Etna said laughing at us.

"What the hell is going on here!?" I shouted getting sick of being pushed around by children, "I wake up in this strange world and I have no idea what's happening! I don't have to take orders from a group of toddlers!" Laharl looked at me before pulling a giant sword out from his scarf.

"I don't care where you came from or what you think! The main fact is that I summoned you and your useless friend so you belong to me! If you're going to yap about your rights then I'm going to just take you out here! So either shut your mouth and do as I say or die!" Ngh…damn it…I don't have much of a choice do I.

"…Fine."

"That's better. Now go to the armory and get out of my face." As he and Etna walked away I balled my hand into a fist and slammed it against the ground over and over again in frustration. Once I had gotten my rage out I stood up and looked over at Nina who was still curled up…she's obviously not happy with this situation either. I approached her and tapped on her shoulder; she looked up at me with a scared look before her expression softened…but she still looked scared.

"Hey…Nina right?" She nodded, "Look we're both stuck in this world…so let's stick together okay?" I outstretched my hand and she turned away moving closer into a shadowed area…guess I'm on my own then.

I approached the weapon shop and was greeted by a woman who was playing with a pencil on the counter in front of her; I gave a cough and she looked up at me.

"So…what have you got?" I asked.

"Well Laharl gave me the basics about what you would need and he said he would cover the bill as long as it was fewer than three hundred hell." Hmm…from what I can see a common sword costs about fifty hell so…I should be able to get a weapon, armor, a shield if needed and that should still leave about half left…maybe I should pick Nina up something…what am I thinking!? She didn't want my help so why am I worried about her…it doesn't make any sense!?

"…Argh fine! I'll take a common sword, a wooden shield, a leather vest with boots and then a wooden staff, a cloak and an amulet."

"Alright then, here you go." She handed me my gear and I looked at all of it and gave a sigh; I'm not sure why I'm worrying about that girl but I might as well give her the stuff I got. I headed towards the courtyard and looked to see a pumpkin headed monster standing near the door looking bored…this place was weird.

I moved into the courtyard and looked to see the girl was still sitting in the same position I left her in; I moved up and tossed the stuff at her feet making her look at it in surprise and then at me in confusion.

"I decided to pick something up for you…don't think about it too much but it would have bothered me if you didn't at least get something."

"…Thanks…that was nice of you." She replied with a small smile and I felt my cheeks flare up.

"W-Well next time come with me okay?"

"…Maybe." Tch…this girl. More importantly…how did we end up here? One minute I'm saving this girl from falling off the top of the school and the next thing I know I'm stuck in some bizarre castle surrounded by a river of lava! Where was I, the under…world…wait…where have I seen this before…Laharl…Etna…it rings a bell but it rings a bit too hollow to place.

"Excuse me dood." I turned my head to see a weird penguin looking up at me, "Prince Laharl has asked you to meet him at the gateway out of the castle, he said he was going to put you two through the ropes!" Ropes…like coach would say before putting us through an intense football drill…wait…what the hell is this thing!?

"Um…what are you?" I asked squatting down and poking at him, "A mutant penguin?"

"I'm a prinny dood." Prinny?...Prinny…PRINNY!

"Disgaea!?"

"Huh? What are you talking about dood?"

"I ended up in a video game!? How in the hell did this happen to me!? I don't even play many games! I only know this one because it was a game my dad got for me! Since the divorce with my mom he just assumed I would like it! You screwed me over again dad!"

"Dood calm down!"

"I want to know who's responsible for this atrocity! I shouldn't be here!"

"Owen. Please calm down." I stopped in shock hearing Nina's voice and turned to her; she had a slightly scared look on her face and as I looked at it I felt my rage be replaced with worry.

"Okay." I took a deep breath collecting myself and look down at her, "I'm not sure what's happening but it looks like we're stuck here…and being controlled by a ravenous, sadistic, self-centered brat. What should we do?"

"W-Well I guess all we can do is go along with what's happening until we can get more information." She offered and I thought about it. It was either listen to the kid…or be burned alive…wasn't looking very good for us in any situation.

"I guess-" I gave a sigh, "-all we can do is follow Laharl's orders."

We walked to the portal and I looked to see Etna and Laharl standing nearby with Laharl giving a scowl at both of us.

"You're both late! What the hell took you so long?"

"We were talking." I answered as Nin hid behind me.

"Well don't jabber away my time! We're headed to Vyers Castle."

"Vyres Castle?" Nina asked.

"Apparently he's some hot shot demon so he's the perfect stepping stone on my way to becoming Overlord of the Netherworld!"

"Overlord?" Nina asked.

"That's right! You're going to be a part of the new Overlord's army as pummel everyone in our paths! Everyone is going to know I'm the new overlord!"

"Then let's get ready to roll prince!" Etna said as she jumped through the gateway.

"Get moving, both of you!" I slowly approached the gateway and poked at it; as my finger hit the portal it was sucked in and I felt my body be pulled into it suddenly. As my face passed through it I found myself dumped in front of a giant castle; the front entrance was lined with guards from one end of the gate to the other…but that was only about five people at most while behind them were a line of strange cloaked people wielding staves.

"So this is the entrance to the castle?" I asked Etna as I stood up.

"Yep, now go on and take those guys out." She said motioning me to the guards who were armed to the teeth.

"Are you crazy!? I've never even done something like this before!" I retorted. Suddenly I felt something softly hit my back and looked to see Nina had bumped into me, "Nina."

"Come on, get out there and start slashing!" Laharl demanded as he landed on his feet.

"I can't do that! I've never even been in a serious fight before!"

"Talking back again? That's not very smart for an underling!" I watched his hand flare up with a purple flame and felt a crushing feeling overwhelm me as I stared at him…guess I don't have a choice. Drawing my sword and shield I approached the guards slowly and they turned to me brandishing their weapons. Alright Owen, it's one against five…and you have no combat experience…but you do have a strong body and resilient spirit, you can do this! I ran forward and swung at one of them as they dodged to the side while another struck at me; I quickly blocked with my shield and did a full spin catching their midsection and making them fall backwards. I turned back to the one I tried to strike and ducked as they made a horizontal slice, I retaliated with an upward vertical strike and sent them flying and crashing into the ground. The other three all rushed me and I blocked their combined strike as they pushed their weapons onto me; I tried to push them back but didn't have the strength to push them all off; they're much stronger than the other football players.

"Fire!" I heard Nina's voice and suddenly a wall of fire sprung up separating me and the three guards, "Ice!" When the fire died I looked to see the guards feet were covered in ice keeping them in place. Taking advantage of the situation I struck the guards and watched as two of them fell to the ground; the third one stood on their feet and raised their weapon primed to strike, "Wind!" A gust of wind came up sending the guard off their feet and swirling into the air and with a thrust I took them out knocking out the entire front gate guard group.

"That was close."

"Are you okay?" I looked over to see Nina giving me a worried look as she took exhausted breaths.

"Yeah, I'm guessing you were the one who helped me out?" I asked and she nodded.

"And all it took was a little motivation." Etna said poking a spear into Nina's side; ah…'motivation'.

"Whatever, go take out the other guards!" Laharl shouted, "And that's an order!"

"You could at least help us." I offered and another fire appeared in his hand, "Got it." Suddenly he tossed me a stick of gum and a can of pop.

"Eat those and keep moving!" I gave a nod of confusion and tossed the can to Nina who drank it down as I chewed the piece of gum…not bad.

We climbed the stairs and I rushed at the staff wielders who all moved into a strange stance…what were they doing?

"Fire!"

"Ice!"

"Wind!" I dodged spell after spell as they hurled all their magic at me. Suddenly I was blasted by an ice block falling back down the stairs.

"There are mages up there." I said pointing up with what little energy I had.

"Are you okay?" Nina asked crouching down, "L-Let me try something…Heal!" I felt a warm light surround me and stood up feeling invigorated.

"Ahh! That's better…so you're a mage?"

"A-Apparently." She replied, "I'm not very good at it though." She gave a sigh and I saw her cheeks turn slightly red; she was getting exhausted…

"Take a break. You look tired." I said putting my hand on her shoulder and helping her down. Standing back up I took a deep breath and looked over at the guards I took down finding a shield next to one of their bodies…now that I take a look I'm surprised they don't bleed.

"Hey Etna?"

"What do you need?"

"Why aren't they bleeding? I slashed them up; shouldn't there be blood?"

"You think demons actually bleed? Well they do…but you'd have to make a pretty deep cut to do any real damage."

"So demons don't bleed easy?"

"Nope, we're tough as nails, we just fade away after a while. It takes a lot to actually kill a demon. See, there they go." I looked back to see they were starting to fade away and quickly grabbed the wooden shields I was eyeing; can't let those disappear. I approached the stairs and placed the shield in front of my face.

"Alright, it's just like dummy tackling...just push through!" Rushing up the stairs I charged forward at the mages.

"Fire!"

"Ice!"

"Wind!" I felt the force of each magic attack hit the shields and once my shield hit something solid I gave a massive heave an pushed the mages over; throwing the shields to the side I pulled out my sword and swung at all three of the mages taking them out.

"There, the front gate is open." I said feeling exasperated from all the solo fighting.

"Alright then let's get moving." Laharl said passing me casually…good to know he's appreciative.

After passing through a few more rooms and taking out more waves of enemies that stood in our path we found ourselves inside what looked to be the throne room but it gave off more of a lounge vibe than anything else.

"This place has a regal feel to it." Etna said as our footsteps echoed across the giant room, "But it also feels so…"

"Laid back?" Nina asked.

"Exactly. Almost like someone we shouldn't even bother with lives here."

"That's cold mademoiselle." I moved into a ready stance as a voice came out of nowhere.

"Who's there!?" Laharl yelled and the halls were filled with the echoes of self-centered laughing. Suddenly a man jumped down in front of us and took a seat in the couch behind him, "Welcome to my castle, my name is Vyres, the dark Adonis." So he's some kind of dark beauty?

"An incestuous beauty!?" Nina said in shock with her face as red as a tomato.

"Incestuous?" I asked.

"Isn't Vyres the one who's been knocking demons off for the throne?" Etna asked.

"Correct young lady. I am an aristocrat with both strength and beauty!" He turned to Laharl, "…Young man, you are the son of the late King Krichevskoy are you not?"

"That's right. I'm Laharl, heir to the throne." He answered confidently.

"So you came to take me on first? As one of the demons in top competition for thew throne I give you credit for coming to me. Well played."

"I've never even heard of you. You're just a stepping stone on my path to the throne." Vyres gave an exasperated gasp.

"How dare you! I am the dark Adonis Vy-"

"Shut up! Who cares who you are! From now on your name is mid-boss!"

"M-Mi-Mi-Mid-boss!?" Mid-boss cried out in shock and anguish.

"Looks like you hurt his pride prince." Etna pointed out.

"Poor Mid-boss." Nina said and I shrugged.

"What can you do? It's just what happens Mid-boss." I replied.

"Unforgivable." Mid-Boss replied, "That is unforgivable!" With that outburst he drew a slim blade and rushed at Laharl who jumped back as Etna and Nina did the same. He looked at me and swung his blade as I blocked with my shield; I attempted to push him back but found he had a harder push than me. Instead of pushing it back I moved my shield to the side making Mid-Boss stumble and stabbed forward catching his chest, "It'll take more than that to stop me!" He twirled and slashed me sending me flying back at Nina who caught me.

"Owen!" Nina cried.

"I'm okay." I replied standing up, "He's tougher than he looks though."

"You really think he's powerful?" Laharl asked stepping forward, "I'll show you powerful!" Wind suddenly began to whip up around Laharl as he raised his hand and an intense fire surrounded it, "Overlord's wrath!" Around him balls of powerful energy began to form and he swung his hand down as all the balls flew at Mid-boss in a powerful explosion that almost sent me and Nina flying backwards. When it cleared Mid-boss stood there looking bruised and burned to hell. So this was the power of the one I'm serving under.

"I'll…admit to underestimating your skill…I took you for but a child." Mid-boss said looking ready to collapse, "But…that was an error…in judgment…I am too kind hearted."

"Um…are you going to be alright?" Nina asked as he teetered back and forth looking ready to collapse; he vigorously shook and then stood up straight.

"I will be just fine, that was but a fraction of my true power!"…no it wasn't.

"Liar, you were serious just now." Laharl said bluntly.

"How pathetic. Nothing's worse than a sore loser." Etna tagged on.

"Insolent brats!" Mid-boss screamed, "I shall come to return this favor! Do not forget moi!" With that final cry he dashed off leaving us alone in his castle.

"What a clod. Prinny squad!" Laharl screamed as dozens of prinnies gathered around us, "Grab everything that's not nailed down and then everything that is nailed down! We're leaving with everything we can!" I watched as the tiny penguin creatures scrambled around picking everything up that they could…even the couch Mid-boss was sitting on earlier, "You two!" I looked over to see Laharl pointing at me and Nina, "Don't just stand there! Grab everything you can!" Scrambling onto my feet Nina and I moved to grab what we could stuffing it into the prinny's large bags, "Come on, pick up the pace! I want to get back to the castle before lunch!" Before lunch…it's already past lunch!

When we finally made it back to the castle I dropped the bag onto the floor and started panting; those bags aren't light…why did he have to make us grab the stonework gargoyles as well?

"Alright, we're done for the day. Prinnies go put everything in the treasury and if I find even one piece missing I'll roast your butts until your grilled fish!" Laharl commanded and the prinnies started working double time.

"What about us?" Nina asked.

"You two are being put on Etna's training regimen. Don't think you'll be resting just because you got back to the castle." Training…after a big fight?

"You know, basic labor laws say that-"

"Shut up! You're my vassals and you'll do as I command!" Why do I even try?

"Come on you two!" We looked over at Etna who was now holding her whip from earlier; she cracked it into the ground, "It's time to work you to the bone and I literally mean it. You'll be skeletons by the time I'm done with you two." …This is my new life...I wonder if this is karma for the way I acted before…nah.


	3. Outdone

"I hate Etna." I walked down the hallway towards my room drying off my hair with my towel; I had taken my shower for the day to get rid of the stink of training and Etna decided to cut the hot water while I was the only one in there…everything felt a bit too numb for my liking. It took me too long to get use to the temperature of the water so now I was the only one who was still up; how late did it get?

"Woosh!" What was that? I looked around for a moment in confusion, "Min, min, min!" Again? I followed the noise to see someone sneaking into Laharl's bedroom. I followed her and crouched at the steps as she braced herself against a wall, "Wumph!" I took a closer look and saw she was dressed in almost all white with bits of blue ribbon; her hair was long and blonde while her face gave off a sense of innocence and peacefulness, but her most noticeable quality was the small white wings on her back; was she an angel? She gave a relieved sigh, obviously oblivious to my presence, "Phew…looks like I made it in without being seen." No you didn't, "What do they call those guys in the human world? Oh, yes…Ninjas…I always wanted to be one." Not doing a great job at it so far, "Maybe I have potential! Nin nin!" No you don't, "But still, is it alright for me to be doing this? The angels all say demons are evil, but are they really?" Etna is, Laharl…definitely, "It doesn't seem fair to judge someone based on rumors alone." I guess I should wake Laharl, seems he's got a visitor. I stood up and walked past the girl who was lost in her own little world as she talked; she seems like kind of an airhead. I nudged the prince and he opened his eyes before sitting up and looking at me.

"What do you want?"

"You've got a visitor." I said pointing to the corner where you could still hear the girl talking.

"A visitor?" Laharl hoped out of his bed and walked over to her.

"Can't kill strangers…hmmm, can't kill acquaintances either…which means…ooohhh…" How in the hell did she get to that point?

"Who are you, and why are you in my room talking to yourself?" Laharl demanded. She turned around in surprise and gave out a scream as she smacked Laharl back towards me, "Oww! What the heck did you do that for!?"

"Oh. I'm sorry. You scared me so I accidentally…" She trailed off before giving us a through look over.

"Hmph, so who are you?" Laharl asked.

"Me? Nice to meet you. I'm an assassin?"

"…I don't believe it." I said bluntly; no one that stupid can be an assassin.

"Oops, I wasn't supposed to say that." She said in sudden realization.

"You're pretty dense aren't you?" Laharl said less as a question and more as a statement.

"My! How rude, calling somebody you just met dense!"

"I think an assassin who tries to kill someone in his sleep is a lot ruder." He had a point.

"…You're right, I apologize." She apologized!?

"…What?"

"It looks like I failed this time, I'll be leaving now." She gave a small bow to both of us, "I'll be back again. Please take care." With that she sped down the hall and out of our reach.

"H-Hey! Wait!" Laharl called out, "Someone, get in here!" The door opened and both Etna and Nina came in looking tired and groggy eyed.

"What happened?" Nina asked with a yawn.

"It's the middle of the night…ohh, did you have a nightmare." Etna asked the prince in a mocking tone .

"No, you fool! An assassin has infiltrated the castle!" Laharl replied in frustration.

"Huh?"

"An assassin!?" Nina said looking a little frightened.

"What happened to the prinnies that were supposed to be on patrol!? I was lucky he heard something happening or I might be dead!"

"Honestly, you probably would have been fine." I added.

"Shut it!" Laharl yelled back, "The point stands that the guard should be doing their jobs! What happened Etna?"

"They've partied themselves to sleep." Etna replied rubbing the gunk out of her eyes.

"Those idiots! I'm gonna smack 'em! Wake them up now!" He turned to me, "And you two get ready, we've got an assassin to track down!"

"So what's the budget this time?" I asked the armory owner. She gave a wicked snicker as she pulled out a line of equipment.

"Lucky for you Laharl put a call in with the dark assembly and improved what we carry. So now you have a better selection of weaponry."

"Really?" I looked over the weaponry and was amazed by the shinning blade and elegant shield at the end of the line, "Wow! What is that!?"

"That's the longsword, truly a well-made piece of equipment."

"How much Hell is that?"

"One thousand two hundred."

"And how much is my budget?"

"Six hundred."…So he's limiting me, "Be lucky that he was willing to double how much you get to spend." Yeah, I feel SO lucky.

"…Fine…I'll take the sword breaker and the witch's staff. As for armor…I think I'll stick with what I have right now."

"Okay, would you like to pick up a few recovery items while you're here?" Recovery?

"You mean like potions and ethers?"

"Hahahahahahaha! No, we're not giving you any drugs! Just basic sugary foods and beverages."…How does that heal anything?

"Fine, I'll take five mint gum and five unopened drinks." I replied reading from the catalog. They were twenty hell a piece so it made it was my best option…guess I should get this stuff to Nina. I walked towards the courtyard and looked to see Nina sitting under the dead tree nearby; it was her favorite place to sit, she spent everyday under there…all day by the smell of things…suck it up Owen. I approached the tree and felt a twig snap under my boot.

"Huh? Owen?" Nina said looking over at me as I approached her.

"Here." I replied tossing the staff to her and sitting down.

"…Thanks."

"Sure." I sat next to her as we just waited in silence, waiting for one of us to end it.

"…It's been about a week now right?"

"Um…yeah, about a week. I'm still not use to the rationed meals and Etna's daily pranks but the training is getting easier…don't tell Etna that though. She'll double down on the intensity."

"Don't worry…I don't want more work either." I chuckled as she gave a small giggle.

"…So why do you think you can do magic?"

"I'm not sure…there was this strange power welling up in my body as I watched you fight…the next thing I know I'm pointing my staff out and screaming the first thing that came to mind." So…something instinctive?

"Well…you helped me out so…thanks."

"…Glad to help."

"I mean I probably could have taken them out myself but I'm glad you helped."

"Oh…I'm sorry."

"No! I really appreciate what you did! I swear!" Geez, I wasn't good at this.

"You really suck at this whole complimenting others thing." I jumped to my feet and looked to see Etna had crouched down next to where I was sitting.

"What are you doing here!?"

"I was going to ask you that. You know the prince will be really steamed if he finds out you two were slacking off." She had a point.

"Alright, let's head over. You ready Nina?" I reached my hand out and she stood up on her own.

"Yep, let's go."

"I-I-It's freezing here!" Etna complained as she clutched her body and shivered in the biting cold wind.

"W-Wear something more covering then." I replied as we walked through the Frozen River. Apparently that stupid assassin had gone through the gate and ended up here.

"Like you're one to talk mister quick shiver." Damn, I thought I stopped that; she had a point though; it was like we were walking through Jack Frost's body and being hit by old man winter at the same time while Mother Nature stood by and laughed. I looked over at Nina to see she had bundled her cloak into an almost swaddled like fashion. Surprisingly Laharl seemed unfazed by the cold, he even yawned in boredom as we walked; go lucky punk…I can't even feel my feet and he's bored. As we walked I could hear muffled groaning and moaning all around us; were we in a haunted graveyard or a frozen lake? Suddenly Laharl came to a stop drawing his blade.

"You zombies sure suck at surprise attacks." The snow began to rise and out of it zombies stood with their arms held out towards us. I drew my sword and shield as they approached and watched as Etna took out her spear and Nina gripped her staff. They shuffled closer and I took a swing at one of them cleaving his head from his body; it fell into the snow and I took a step back as the body approached and picked up its head, he slammed his head down on his neck and let go as the head reattached.

"Gross." I said as its neck snapped the head back into place.

"They're zombies you moron!" Laharl yelled at me, "They can just reattach their body parts."

"So what should we do?"

"Burn them to the bone!" Etna said pushing Nina forward.

"Eh, m-me!?" Nina asked in surprise.

"Just hit them with some fire, you'll be fine."

"B-B-But I can barely use fire three times! I don't think I can-"

"Just do it already!" Laharl yelled at her and she jumped before swinging her staff forward and taking a deep breath.

"…Fire!" A zombie was engulfed in flame and began screaming as it was turned to ash; effective.

"Nina, watch out!" Out of the corner of my eye I caught a zombie getting too close and pushed Nina to the side taking a swing at the zombie cleaving in by the torso.

"Fire!" Both parts were consumed in fire and reduced to ash that was absorbed into the snow turning it grey, "Whew…I'm a little winded."

"That was only twice." Etna said, "You're such a lightweight."

"Sorry…I'm just not used to using magic." Nina replied panting. Reaching into my pocket I took out one of the unopened drinks and handed it to Nina; she took small sips and sighed after each drink before standing back up and taking a deep breath.

"Hurry up!" Laharl yelled and I looked around to see zombies were surrounding us; damn, I wasn't paying enough attention.

"…Mega Fire!" A ring of fire shot up around us consuming all of the zombies and as it died down nothing was left, not even piles of ash. I turned to congratulate Nina and was shocked to see her slumped to the ground and panting heavily.

"Nina! Are you okay?" I asked crouching next to her. She looked over at me before taking another breath and standing up.

"I'm…fine…that was just a bit more then I think I can do."…Even so she was still able to pull off such a powerful move…it was more than I could do…that feels weird to say.

"Well she's burned out." Etna said poking Nina's face, "Anymore and she could collapse and freeze to death."…I'd rather not see her die.

"Just head back to the castle Nina, we can handle this." I said and she shook her head.

"N-No, I'm fine." She said standing up and downing the rest of the drink, "I want to keep going."…what…what was with this girl?

"Whatever, let's just keep moving." Laharl cut in and started walking forward as we all followed. I kept my eyes glued on Nina as we walked on and my mind raced about her conviction to keep moving...damn it.

"There she is!" Laharl yelled as we finally caught up to the girl; she turned around in surprise.

"This is the assassin!?" Etna asked in surprise.

"She doesn't look like an assassin." Nina added.

"Do I at least look like a ninja?" The girl asked and Nina shook her head, "Aww…"

"I think you have bigger problems then that right now." I added.

"I was expecting somebody more menacing." Etna said, "She looks like she can't even kill a bug."

"Just shut up and capture her!" Laharl demanded and we stepped forward. She pulled out a strange wand and began waving it around as she chanted.

"Prima Pretty Prippanica! Mighty warriors protect me!" A magic portal opened up and a group of different demons stepped out; warriors, wizards, bowmen…zombies again?

"That's angelic language." Etna pointed out, "She must be from Celestia! Prince, she's an angel!"

"I don't care if she's an angel or a demon. Even if they're a god anyone that opposes me will suffer a painful death." Laharl said confidently as he swung at the girl. A warrior swept in and blocked his attack forcing Laharl to step back as the girl ran away, "Damn, get out of my way you peons!" He raised his blade and it began to spark wildly, "WIND CUTTER!" He swung down cleaving the entire wave of enemies apart leaving nothing behind…not even snow.

"Woah…that was amazing!" I said actually impressed by the amount of power he summoned…compared to everyone here I'm at the bottom of the food chain…why am I so weak here…no, I refuse to be outdone by a brat, an evil punk girl, and a cowardice girl!

"Are you okay? Your face looks like it's turning inside out with how intensely you're frowning." Etna pointed out.

"I'm fine. " I responded drawing my blade, "I'll take the rest of them!" Rushing forward I swung at one of the warriors; he blocked my attack and pushed me back taking a swing so I blocked his attack with my shield and thrust under piercing his stomach and pushing him into the ground. Pulling my blade out I swung at the mage behind me taking him out and felt something pierce my side I looked over to see a zombie had dug its claw into my side; quickly moving swinging my foot I kicked the zombie dislodging it from my side and gripped my blade cutting the zombie in half vertically. Ow…that stings more than I expected; I looked down to see the wound was a darkened puncture…but it wasn't leaking blood…was I really a demon?

"Are you okay?" Nina asked approaching me, "…You aren't bleeding, good."

"Don't worry, I'm fine." I replied brushing her off, "I can do this." Getting back up I rushed towards the group of zombies and began slicing them apart as quickly as I could; if I can slice them into pieces then they won't have a chance to reform at all, "Let's see how you handle this!" I sliced, hacked and diced with everything I had going full throttle to turn the zombies into diced bits of meat; when I stopped I looked to see the zombie was in tiny pieces that flailed around…what was with these zombies?

"Let's get moving before they reform." Laharl said walking past me into the harsh weather. I…guess I can count this as a victory…ewww.

"Finally!" We had finally caught up to the angel and we had managed to back her into a corner; she had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide anymore, "You can't escape!" Laharl yelled, "I'm proud to call myself the most persistent demon in the netherworld."

"Is that so?" The angel asked, "Wow…that's really something." Is she mocking him? I honestly can't tell from her face.

"Are you trying to make a fool of me?"

"Nope, I think that's the way she is." Etna said.

"Now it's my turn to show off a little." The angel said pulling out that strange wand again, "But I'll have to use the item the seraph gave me. So I can only do it once. Are you ready? Here I go!" Suddenly a strange wind picked up and surrounded the girl, "Durian Dragon Dranyago! Dragon, come forth!"

"Wait, did she say-" Before I could finish I was interrupted by a mighty roar that caused me to step back in shock and worry. What stood before us was a giant, mighty and powerful dragon large enough to consider the four of us just a snack, "This seems a little unfair in retrospect."

"Can we even handle this prince!?" Etna asked.

"We don't have much of a choice in the matter." Laharl responded with a heavy sigh pulling out his blade as we all did the same with our weapons. The dragon slammed its head down and I leapt backwards as debris began to fly everywhere as it whipped its head around in an attempt to grab all of us. I looked behind me to see Nina had gone farther back and was charging up her magic. I can't let her have all the glory! Dashing forward I plunged my blade into the dragon's skin and it swung its head up dragging me along with it; I flailed around before slamming my back onto the top of its head and pulled my blade out taking swings at its face.

"Damn, it's made of stronger skin than I expected." I looked at my blade to see it was taken down to its hilt, "Cheap piece of metal." I tossed the weapon into the snow and tried punching the skin feeling my fist almost shatter in pain, "…owwwwwww."

"Hey! Get off you moron!" I looked up to see Laharl was in the sky with his blade prepped to strike. I moved over and slid down the side of the dragon plopping into the cold snow…next time I'm packing a scarf. I watched as Laharl plummeted at the dragon slashing through its body, "Blade Rush!" When he landed on in the snow I looked to see the dragon was missing its wings; whoa. I watched as the dragon reeled its head and blasted a line of fire at Laharl. Out of the flames Laharl's blade came flying at me and stuck into the ground in front of me; I looked back when the flames died to see Laharl struggling to stand up, "Damn, that thing is more resilient than I expected. Owen, take it out!" I nodded and pulled his blade out of the ground and swung at the dragon's leg as fast as I could; I looked to see I hadn't even scratched the dragon…damn! How can I take this thing out if I'm this weak, "Are you stupid!? Use a skill!" A skill…I've got it! I backed up and reeled my blade back setting my eyes on its head before dashing forward.

"Blade Rush!" I felt my body go supersonic as I flew at the dragon and slashed through it; when I landed back on the ground I looked to see the dragons head fall from its body; take that you overgrown lizard! The dragon opened its mouth and a blast of fire came flying at me; damn, it must have used the last of its strength!

"Mega Ice!" A blast of cold ice consumed the fire turning it into a thick fog; when it cleared I looked over to see Nina was looking exhausted, "Good…you're okay…" She saved me…again…damn it, I feel useless again!

"Wow…you defeated my dragon." The angel said in surprise.

"You've made a lot of trouble for me." Laharl said looking extra mad, "I don't know who hired you but I'm going to make sure you regret you tried to assassinate the great Laharl…not that you'll have much time left!"

"Is he going to kill her!?" Nina asked looking worried.

"She did try to kill him." I pointed out.

"Yeah, as far as I can tell it's pretty fair." Etna chimed in.

"And where were you during the fight?"

"I'm not stupid enough to risk my life against a dragon."

"You have got to be the worst person I've ever met."

"Meh, don't really care."

"That's obvious! And stop turning off the hot water when I take a shower!"

"Um…excuse me, but…" We turned our heads to see the angel was talking, "Why would I want to assassinate you?"…Was she serious…did she have short term memory loss like that stupid fish!?

"Huh?" Laharl asked in shocked confusion.

"I am angel trainee Flonne. I'm here under order of the seraph to assassinate the overlord, King Krichevskoy."

"Who's that?" I asked Etna.

"The prince's dad."

"His father?" Nina said, "I didn't think he had a father."

"Well, not anymore. The king died choking on a black pretzel."

"…I think that's the worst way for a ruler to go."

"It was actually very common in old times." Nina said, "Many royalty were either killed by their food or by poison." I think I'd be scared to eat if I were ever king.

"You're here to kill my old man?" Laharl asked.

"You're old man?" Flonne asked back, "That means you're the king's son?"

"Doesn't anyone in Clelestia read the newspaper?" Etna asked.

"You came all the way from Celestia for nothing." Laharl said, "My old man is dead already. He died two years ago." Suddenly Flone started to tier up to everyone's surprise, "Why are you crying!?

"Your father passed away, right? It must be very sad."

"Then why are YOU crying?" Etna asked.

"She must be an over emotional girl." I said taking a step back, "That or bi-polar."

"Well, you'll never get to see him again." Flonne said, "When I think about that it makes me sad." Oh god, she is over emotional.

"Are you crazy!?" Laharl asked, "You came here to assassinate him right? Why are you sad?"

"Are you not sad?"

"Me? I don't have that emotion."

"That's not true. When you lose someone or something important to you, you cry, don't you? You're heart aches, doesn't it?" That's only if you have something you care about though…what reason is there to cry when you have nothing you truly care about? I looked over to see Nina clutching her hand near her heart with a sad look in her eyes.

"I don't understand a word your saying."

"How come?"

"Because I'm a demon."

"Demons don't have sadness?"

"E-Exactly! I've never experienced such an emotion in my entire life!" Was that…?

"If that's true, then does that mean demon don't know love? Sadness is only possible because of love."

"You're right, demons have no love, either!"

"That's…that's just too sad." Love…it's an emotion that's not needed. All it does is make you feel hurt, it weakens you…more than you already are…I don't need it…my parents didn't need it, why do I?

"…Love…" I looked over at Nina to see she was deep in thought, "It doesn't work one way." !?...whatever.

"What's love good for!? I don't need it…" Lahal said sounding unsure of himself; he clenched his fist tightly, "Demons like me don't need that kind of crap!"

"If that's true, then demons are a real threat to Celestia!" Flonne said, "Since I can't complete my mission my new goal is to learn the true nature of demons." Was she serious, "I must know for certain whether or not demons are capable of love…and if necessary…I will carry out my mission with a new target!" Was she going to assassinate the prince!? She's insane! He's going to kill her here then!

"Hmhmhmhmhm…hahahahahahaha!" Oh no, "Alright! Be my guest! I shall burn a true vision of horror into that empty head of yours!" I slammed my hand into my face in disbelief, he seriously recruited an angel as one of his vassals…what was wrong with this kid…and why was I stuck with him!?

"This is going to get a lot more hectic isn't it?" I asked and Nina nodded.

"It looks like it…maybe it won't be so bad."

"She'll just be preaching words that go in one ear and out the other."

"Really?"

"Yep, don't need love, friends, or anything like that…all it does is slow me down."

"…Are you sure about that? Maybe you'd be stronger if you found something to use your strength for." Those words...

"…Maybe you have a point…but there is nothing I love…not in this world and certainly not in my own."

"…I can understand that…at least to a degree." I looked at Nina but she refused to look back at me…

"Come on you two!" We both looked to see Laharl had opened a portal home, "We're heading back to the castle!" We followed behind but I kept my eyes on Nina; what did she mean by that…and where did she hear those words?


	4. Shapeshifter

"Salary?" Laharl asked in confusion.

"Wait, we get paid!? How come I haven't seen a single hell!?" I asked in anger; I've been breaking my back for almost a month without even a single hell to spend for myself.

"You want money? Fine, I'll just stop feeding you!" Damn it…he's got me cornered, "Now what's this about salary Etna?"

"The prinnies salary is due today." Etna answered.

"You guys pay the prinnies?" Flonne asked.

"Yep, every prinny has a human soul who has committed a sin."

"A sin?" Nina asked sounding intrigued.

"Yep, a sin. You know; murder, theft, suicide. Anything that amounts to a terrible deed can land you inside one of these little guys."

"But why do you pay them?" I asked and she called over a prinny and kicked it over; when it fell to the ground money spilled out of its pouch; it had more than I even got for weapon upgrades.

"The prinnies work in the Netherworld or Celestia to work off the debt of their sins. In Celestia they gain praise but in the netherworld they have to collect money in order to pay off their sins." Nina picked up one of the coins and the prinny rushed over and swiped the coin out of her hand hastily.

"So what is their salary?"

"I have the form right here." Grabbing the form from Etna I scanned it over.

"Yadda, yadda, yadda…yearly salary is 2000 hell…paid once a year…no overtime wages, no vacation days, twenty hour work days, no sick days, work seven days a week."…, "Is this a work form or a slave report!? Tech support in India get better work benefits then this!"

"What? That's normal prinny wages."

"But not normal hours." Nina added, "Based on the value of your cash this is about…that's less than one hell an hour…less than a third of a hell an hour."

"Who would work for that!?" I yelled in shock.

"It's cruel." Flonne added looking sad.

"Shut up you three!" Laharl yelled making all of us stop our conversation, "Now why should I pay your vassals?"

"Well my vassals are your vassals, right?" Etna said and Laharl grumbled.

"I can't argue with that…fine, but I'm not paying out of my own pocket."

"What? But I thought you were loaded."

"That's my allowance! No one is touching that but me!"

"Stingy."

"Shut up. Now who's the richest guy around, we'll just loot his place!" With that Laharl stomped off heading for the gate.

"…Is he always like this?" Flonne asked looking shocked.

"Unfortunately." I said with a sigh.

"All the time." Nina added on.

"Oh my." Flonne said. I looked her over and shook my head in disappointment.

"You're not going to last long."

It was still a few hours before Laharl had everything rounded up and ready to attack the town so I decided to hang out in the courtyard; it was the only place that was even a little peaceful out of the whole castle…although that was becoming less truthful with Flonne's garden in the works near the edge of the wall.

"This place needs a little more love." Flonne said patting the ground as she finished planting her tulips. I watched as the tulips quickly turned into withered husks before my eyes and I heard Flonne shriek in surprise.

"This soil is very hateful." I said as she quietly sobbed.

"My tulips." I walked away and looked at the nearby dead tree to see Nina sitting under it like always; she just stared out into the distance as she sat clutching her knees…she's always sitting in that position when I look at her…damn. I walked over and took a seat next to her and she looked over at me before staring back out; I looked to see a view of the moat around the castle as well as the mountain range in the distance, I'm sure leaving or getting here would be a challenge by foot.

"It's a pretty view." I said trying to make light conversation.

"Yeah…I like it." She replied, "If you wait long enough you'll see a fire serpent jump out of the moat lava."

"Really? That sounds pretty cool."

"I've only seen it once but it was very exciting."

"…Maybe I'll stick around for a bit then. You okay with that?"

"…Sure, I'm okay with that." I heard a hint of happiness in her voice as she said that making me chuckle…this was nice.

"So…how are you such a good mage?"

"W-Well I'm not sure…but I think I was able to do so well because I didn't want to see you get hurt."

"W-What?" I felt my face heat up as she said that.

"I mean…you saved my life…I wanted to make sure I could return the favor…and I want to keep returning the favor."…She…she was actually pretty nice.

"Well then I'll keep you out of harm in return…I probably owe you for saving me from that dragon anyway."

"…Alright then." We sat their quietly watching the view and I took occasional glances at Nina noticing she had a small look of sadness…and yet a certain…something I can't put my finger on…what is it, "Owen Richards…weren't you the quarterback for the Rangview Raiders?"

"Oh…yeah I was. The best in school history actually."

"I heard you were a big jerk and you talked down to everyone." Ah…she heard the rumors…well, kind of rumors.

"You're…not entirely wrong."

"You seem different than I expected though…less…stuck up."

"…Honestly I was the best in the school. It kind of made me feel like I could look down on others…although that came with some animosity from the other football players...so I avoided them altogether. It made making friends a bit tough when you're put on a pedestal and then given such a bad image from others…although the cheerleaders were enamored with me. I was a mix between a strong jock and a bad boy…made me appealing. It was all a fabrication though…I was just a guy who kept to himself and I was fine with that honestly."

"Really? You didn't mind not having friends?"

"Why would I? As far as I was concerned I only had to get a football scholarship, head to college and then spend the rest of my life playing football until I couldn't play anymore and then retire."

"That seems kind of lonely…what about someone to love?"…

"I don't need other people to rely on in my life. Here it's a matter of life or death but in the real world I don't need to rely on others…it makes you weaker…and causes you to become less then who you are."

"You really believe that?"

"I know it."

"…I guess as someone who isn't loved I can understand that thinking." Wait…what did she say?

"Hey!" I looked behind me to see Laharl shouting at us from the entryway, "We're moving out! Get your butts over here!" Nina stood up and walked over calmly and I just stared at her wondering what she meant by that.

When we exited the portal I was shocked to see the size of the manor in front of us; I would say it's the size of an army fortress…but honestly this was even bigger than that, almost reaching the same size as the Overlord's castle.

"This place must be loaded." Etna said sounding equally shocked.

"Are you kidding?" I said, "This guy must be so loaded that his if we were to take that load, he would have another ten loads after that. It's hell city up in there!"…That feels weird to say when talking about cash.

"Hmhmhm, it's perfect then." Laharl said stepping forward, "Prinnies, grab everything! The wallpaper, floor tiles, even the carpet! I want it all!"

"Yes sir, dood!"

"Wait!" Flonne cried stepping in front of the prinny hoard, "Stealing is wrong! You shouldn't do this!"

"…Didn't you hear me prinnies? Get moving!"

"Yes sir, dood!" With that the prinnies sprint past Flonne and started taking the palace apart from the outside as quickly as they could.

"Sorry Flonne." I said patting her back as she pouted, "If it makes you feel better, at least he didn't threaten to obliterate you."

"Is it really okay to be stealing from this place though?" Nina asked.

"We're all demons, I'm sure the owner of the castle did their fair share of robbery and stealing to get this rich." Etna pointed out, "Now I think we're going to have a bit of an issue with the security." I looked to where she pointed to see various demons pouring out of the entryway; we're gonna have to take them out before they take the prinnies out.

"Come on Nina." I said drawing my sword and pulling out my shield.

"Alright." She replied pulling out her staff. We rushed at the guards and I thrust forward stabbing the mage and swung through him catching the monk to my left; with my shield I blocked the incoming punch and skid back as he was engulfed in fire. I felt someone punch my back and fell to the ground; rolling to the side I stood up and swung at my attacker catching the monk and turned to see a line of swordsman rushing at me. Suddenly they were covered in ice stopping them and I pulled my blade back; (Blade Rush!) I dashed through all of them taking them out in one swift movement. I took a breather and looked around to see no one else was approaching us; I'm guessing that there are more guards stationed inside though…better be ready.

"Let's keep moving." Laharl said crossing the threshold into the mansion.

"What? No thank you?"

"Just keep moving!"

"Fine." With a sigh I followed the group into the palace; at least I'm on top again.

"This place is really impressive." Nina said as we walked through the hallway of the palace; the inside was lined in gold wallpaper and the carpet looked to be made of…silk worm silk…impressive and super expensive.

"Too gaudy if you ask me." I said averting my eyes, "I don't think I could do all this gold."

"It's appalling that's true." Laharl said as the prinnies suddenly swarmed in and starting tearing the place up, "But worth a lot of hell to the right buyer."

"You mean the most spineless pawn shop owner right?" Etna said and Laharl laughed.

"He's going to haggle?" Flonne asked.

"Not haggle but close." I answered.

"Extortion?" Nina asked and I gave a teeter-totter motion with my hand.

"Kind of but not."

"Shut it!" Laharl yelled, "We've got guards to take out." So I was right.

"Wait!" Flonne said stopping me before I could draw my sword, "Before you try to take them out maybe we can talk this out."

"Flonne we've already taken out a few of their men." Etna said, "I think we're past talking to them."

"Hang on, let me try something." Flonne stepped forward and held her staff up as it began to glow pink.

"What in the-"

"Maybe she can actually do something." Nina said, "We should give her a chance."

"Power of Love!" A warm light enveloped the guards stopping them in their path; they all looked at each other before resuming their rush towards us, "Huh? I thought that might make them feel better and stop attacking us." I gave a sigh as Nina stepped forward and raised her staff.

"Mega Wind!" A small tornado picked up all of them and Nina led the current of air throwing them down the hall towards the front door.

"You know how to use those really well don't you?" Etna complimented.

"Well I practice every day." She replied…

"Why?" I asked honestly curious.

"Well I don't want you to get hurt." She answered looking at the ground shyly.

"…Let's just keep moving."

"Hmm…maybe I should try gifts." Flonne contemplated.

"…I don't think that's the issue Flonne."…what was that!?

We moved farther into the palace stripping the walls and floors of everything to the point we had to send one prinny back with the sack because we couldn't move it through the doors…but all the while I had this strange feeling someone was watching us as we moved through the entire place. I wasn't positive where it was coming from but it always felt like it was coming from the shadows and darker places in each room…but never behind us. As we walked a prinny came rushing at us looking panicked.

"Prince Laharl! We've taken almost everything, dood. The only place left is the main chamber room, dood."

"Then why aren't you stripping it down!? Get moving!" Laharl yelled.

"B-B-B-But sir, the owner is in there, dood!" The owner was actually here? Laharl started to chuckle before giving his usual uproarious laughter.

"Then it looks like he's getting a personal lesson from the Overlord!"

"Wouldn't a tax collection make more sense?" Nina asked.

"Quiet!" We continued in until we came upon a pair of large, adorned double doors; whoever this guy was he loved to flaunt his wealth…he must be a powerful demon with immense power and looks to match. Laharl stepped forward and kicked the door open taking it off its hinges; this kid was just WAY too powerful for a pipsqueak. We walked in and I heard various grunts and snorts of what sounded like a pig…but there couldn't be a pig in this fancy a place.

"Um…Owen?" I looked over at Nina and she pointed forward; I looked to see a large animal wearing a regal cape and looking at us with a scared look.

"Unless the owner is a pig himself."

"Demons are weird." Flonne said with a sigh. She could say that again.

"What are you doing in my home!?" The pig-man snorted out.

"…I recognize you." Laharl said, "It's been a while, Hoggmeiser." Hoggmeiser?

"Oh yeah, he was King Krichevskoy's vassal wasn't he?" Etna said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah but he was pretty lousy. He was loyal to the king but would always try to make off with the kings possessions."

"That's so mean." Flonne said surprised.

"Well he is a demon. He never got away with anything anyway."

"Really?" I asked sarcastically, motioning to the painting Etna grabbed earlier, "I'm guessing that's a picture of the king?"

"Well the king was always one step ahead of Hoggmeiser. Never even touched a single hell…well, until the king was dead anyway."

"Well I'm taking it all back! As well as the rest of your fortune to compensate for your theft!" Laharl yelled.

"Don't think just because you're the kings son that you can do what you want." Hoggmeiser said snickering…or snorting, I can't really tell, "It's strength that counts in the Netherworld! If you want what's now mine then you'll have to take it by force!"

"That's just what I had in mind! Let's go!" Laharl pulled out his blade and we all pulled out our respective weapons, "You were foolish to take on five of us alone." Suddenly Hoggmeiser laughed uncontrollably making my skin crawl slightly.

"Don't worry, I only hired the best bodyguard to protect me! Come out, shapeshifter!" We looked around for a moment waiting for something to happen…! I swung behind me making a figure slide backwards.

"Too bad, you saw me before I could hit you." The figure said chuckling as he waved a small blade around, "That doesn't stop me though." He stepped forward and I was shocked to find I was looking myself in the eye, "Now how about you show me what you've got. Try to keep up for at least a few minutes." They were cocky but it felt like he wasn't foolish either…it was confidence with skill to back it up…ngh! I stepped forward and stood ready to fight.

"You guys take care of Hoggmeiser. I've got this weirdo!"

"Are you sure?" Nina asked.

"Leave it to me." I replied. Taking a deep breath I charged forward and swung at him making him back up; he thrust forward and I blocked with my shield pushing his blade to the side and slicing across his chest. He retaliated quickly and spun taking a quick slice across my arm; I stepped back and pushed my shield at him bashing against his face and sending him falling to the ground. I stabbed at his chest and he rolled to the side getting back up and striking at my back; I stepped back and took a quick breath before dropping my shield and gripping my blade with both hands.

"Ooohhh…you look like your raring to hit me with something…alright, hit me with your best shot!" I stepped forward and felt the wind pick up below my feet; my feet left the ground and I dashed at him; I swirled around him creating a small tornado that picked him up and sent him soaring into the air, I shot up and when I was above the shapeshifter I swung down sending him smashing into the ground and dropped down stabbing into his chest. When it was over I stumbled backwards and took a few deep breaths collecting myself…that was more intense than I expected it to be. Suddenly the shapeshifter started laughing as he stood up looking unfazed by the attack, "Well…I didn't expect that…but ultimately you're weak." I looked at his body to see he didn't have a single scratch or wound on him…it was like my attacks did nothing to him, "Oh well, guess I should finish this up." Suddenly he dashed at me and swung his blade through me knocking me to the ground; the strike this time was agonizing and painful, beyond any of his previous strikes…I think I could feel something trying to die inside me, "Hmph…weak." !

"I'm not…weak." I retorted trying to stand back up, "I'm better than you think!"

"…No, you're not." Suddenly I felt my body scream as he kicked me in the stomach, "You're delusions of superiority don't even match your actual level of strength. You've coasted through life on your innate strength but you don't even match real strength." I fell back to the floor and I looked up to see he had raised my blade to the sky, "Weaklings like you aren't worth my time or anyone's!" I don't have the strength to get up…I can't even defend myself…damn…I can't move!

"Mega Fire!" Suddenly a wall of fire separated me from the shapeshifter and I watched as an arrow went through the fire, I heard a groan of pain followed by a chuckle.

"Now that's very interesting…so one of you actually has some strength." I looked behind me to see Nina standing there holding a bow.

"Owen, are you okay?"…She saved me again…again…AGAIN!

"Show me what you've got!" Nina leapt backwards as the shapeshifter lunged forward; now he looked like Nina but he still held the small blade in his hand. I watched as Nina shot another arrow at the shapeshifter and she swung her blade knocking the arrow away as Nina raised her hand.

"Mega Ice!" The shapeshifter's blade was covered in ice and she slumped to the ground unable to lift her blade. Nina quickly drew her bow string back and shot directly at the shapeshifters face piercing it and making it stick out of the back of her head…Nina shit through bone!

"Now THAT is strength…she pierced me…hahahahahahaha!" Moving over Nina helped me up and we watched as his body morphed and changed; the arrow fell to the ground as the shapeshifter changed into a cloaked man with bat like wings, "Let's meet again young lady. I hope you keep getting stronger…and you-" He motioned to me with a dark glare, "Never fight me again. I won't waste my time with weaklings unless they wish to die."…I'm not weak…I'm strong…

"Owen?" Suddenly my vision went black and my consciousness faded into nothing…possibly the most damning proof of my weakness.

…When I woke up I found I was back at the castle; I was lying in a clinic bed and I looked over to see the nurse sitting and reading a book with a bored expression on her face, she never really took her job seriously since I met her. Sitting up I felt my stomach clench and gripped it tightly as it stung.

"Careful, you don't want to upset your bruise." The nurse said setting her book down and walking over; she pushed me back onto the bed and lifted up my shirt revealing a deep purple bruise on my stomach, "You must have taken a lot of punches to get that."

"…No, just one kick." I answered making her give a slight look of surprise.

"Must have been a very powerful demon…or at least well trained."…, "You must need to raise your level."

"Level?"

"Yes, a demons power is determined by their level. Hang on…here." She handed me a slip of paper and I looked to see it had a picture of Laharl on it…these must be his medical records.

"This seems illegal to just give me this."

"I don't care."…Level, level, level…there it is…two hundred!? He really was powerful…I wonder…

"Can I see the other ones?" She nodded before handing me a stack of papers. Let's see…Etna is level one hundred and fifty...Flonne is level fifty…Nina is level twelve…! I…I'm only…level 3?...So it's true…I…I really am weak.


	5. Weakness in strength

Taking a deep breath I faced the training dummy and swung my wooden blade smacking it and knocking some hay off; I took a few more strikes putting all my strength and force into each blow, with one powerful swing the dummy flopped back before flying forward and hitting me.

"Tch! Damn it." Moving back I resumed striking it; right swing, left swing, shield bash, thrust, upward swing, downward swing! With my final swing it flopped back and hit me again knocking me on the ground…god damn it!

"Owen?" I turned around seeing Nina standing there extending her hand; I smacked it away and stood up to resume my training, "…If you want I could help yo-"

"No." I replied bluntly, "I don't need your help." I took another combo attack at the dummy this time ending in a left swing and the dummy spun on its post smacking me in the face with its hand…stupid piece of hay!

"…Owen…are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Another dummy strike hit me and I kicked the dummy in anger.

"Owen…maybe you-"

"Maybe you should mind your own business! How about you just go sit under that tree like a hermit! I don't need someone who can just make a campfire!" I went back to my training as the next minute was filled with silence; the only sound was wood hitting hay and footsteps walking away from me, good.

I walked back into the castle and tossed the broken wooden sword to the side and dropped the shield on the stone floor as I headed for the infirmary; I had taken to hanging out there lately, the nurse didn't like conversation and I just felt like resting so it was no problem when I hang out there after training. As I moved through the castle I was surprised to find it was strangely quiet and empty…even for seven in the afternoon it seemed too quiet, even the nurse was missing from the infirmary…now that I look around it seems like everyone is gone, even the dimensional portal manager was gone; why was it so empty?

"Hello?" I cried out hoping for an answer, "Is anybody there!?"

"Stop shouting!" I looked over to see Laharl, Etna and Flonne approaching me, "What do you want?"

"Um…prince I think we're missing a few people." Etna said and the prince looked around the area.

"Where is everyone?" Flonne asked, "It seems really empty in here."

"…Etna, call the prinnies." Laharl demanded.

"Prinnies get your butts over here!" Etna shouted and we all stood there waiting for the prinnies to show up…nothing; Etna pulled out a megaphone and clicked it on, "PRINNIES! GET OVER HERE NOW!"…Ow…still nothing, "Even the prinnies are missing."

"Hey…where's Nina?" Flonne asked, "I saw her a few minutes ago and I expected her to be with Owen."…

"I haven't seen her in a few hours." I answered, "Who did you see her with last?"

"I'm not sure who it was but she had big breast, bat wings and a devils tail."

"Sounds like a succubus to me." Etna said, "Prince do you have any succubus as vassals?"

"Hmph! Nobody with large breasts are allowed to be my vassals!" Wait…what?

"That means she infiltrated the castle."

"That lazy gate guard!"

"He's probably missing to." Flonne added.

"Well we're stuck in the castle until either the dimensional gate manager comes back or someone can open the front gates…even then we don't know where she is." I said analyzing the situation.

"Etna, make the dimensional portal work." Laharl demanded.

"I don't know how to use it!" Etna retorted. I moved over to the gate and put my hand against it feeling a slight warmth coming from the gate; the gate pulsed for a moment surprising me and I retracted my hand as it started to glow. When the glow died the gate tore open revealing a snow covered mountain range…how did I do that?

"Wow!" I jumped slightly and looked to see Flonne standing next to me with and impressed look on her face, "How did you do that?"

"I don't know. I just touched it and suddenly it started glowing. Next thing I know it opens up to the snowy mountain.

"That looks like Over Freeze Mountain." Etna said, "They say it use to be a fiery volcano until the day the tenth overlord's jester defeated Overlord Baal."

"Demons said hell would freeze over if he came back alive." Laharl added, "They were partly right."

"Why would she go there?" Flonne asked.

"It's a mountain range so it probably has a lot of caves to hide in." Etna said.

"How would you hide a lot of people?" I asked.

"It used to be a volcano. The center isn't filled with magma but it has natural warmth to it." Laharl said.

"Like an igloo!" Flonne said proud of her realization.

"Well we're going to have to head there if we want to get everyone back." I said thinking on it…I hope Nina is okay…what am I thinking?

"We're going to teach that harlot what happens when you take my subjects!" Laharl declared as he stepped through the portal, Etna and Flonne followed behind him and I looked down at my hand still feeling the warmth from the portal…how was I able to do that?

"Can we stop going to freezing places?" I asked as the chilling wind whipped around me making me shiver uncontrollably; when I get the armory chick back I'm asking for a heating unit or something to stop this crap.

"There are a lot of caves in the mountain side, how will we know which one is the right one?" Etna asked.

"Won't any of them lead to the center?" Flonne asked and Laharl gave a sigh.

"Are you an idiot? Obviously some of those openings lead to dead ends. If we're going to find the right way then we'll have to split up." I looked at the openings and my eyes were drawn to the opening near the top of the mountain side, "Etna, take the lower entry. Love freak, you take the middle one. Owen you go for the mid-top one-"

"Actually…can I take the top?" I asked with my eyes still glued to the entry.

"I'm the overlord! I'm taking the top!" This bratty piece of-

"Whatever." Brushing him off I moved towards the top of the mountain keeping my eyes on the opening.

"What are you doing!? That is my spot!"

"And right now I'm sick of dealing with your crap! So I don't care! I'm just going to go where I want!" I resumed climbing and once I came to the top I scrambled into the opening and immediately started sliding down the opening. I tried to grip at something only to find the entire area around me was covered in slippery ice; I doubt my tongue would stop me from sliding and I don't feel like losing it on a slide of ice. When I came to the end of the slide I plummeted off the edge into a heap of snow; digging myself out I looked to see a long hallway stretching out of view, in the distance I could hear various footsteps and strange sound click against a hard surface…probably ice.

Drawing my sword I walked forward slowly; as I walked I could feel my body begin to go numb…the cold was getting to me, I gripped my blade and took a deep breath before shaking the cold off and rushing forward. As I moved forward I could see a fork in the cave coming closer to me; as I reached the wall I looked to see a blade coming into view and stepped back as it swung at where I was standing. I looked to see a warrior was standing there…but he looked different than the others I faced before, his eyes were dull and lifeless and his expression was like as blank as paper making me slightly step back in shock and surprise. As he took another swing I dodged and retaliated swiping at his head with the hilt of my sword; he slumped onto the ground and stopped moving…normally they disappear after this. I crouched down and touched his head to check for a bruise; feeling something wet on my hand I raised it to see a red liquid…that's blood…I killed him? If his body is still here then that means he can't just come back…yep he's dead, but from the look of those eyes I'm guessing it was a blessing. I felt his arm to find he was cold as ice…was he even alive when I saw him? Deciding not to focus on it too much I looked at the left and right paths; once again I found myself drawn towards the right path and decided to trust my instincts heading down the path for as far as it would go.

As I walked my mind began to drift towards my football days; every win I ever had, every victory I carried and every effortless practice session that showed just how powerful I truly was…how skilled I was…and how much better I was than every other player on the team. Honestly they weren't good memories but…they were memories I enjoyed, they always reminded me that I was always better than the others, that I was different and had more potential than those around me, I was the best and that was the truth…that IS the truth. My breath was beginning to become cold as I walked on…and my hand could barely feel the blade I held in my hand…and…my eyes were growing heavy…no! I rushed forward with all of my strength; when I came to a crossway I took a glance and followed where my instincts pointed me without hesitation…this was no time to sit and think it through, if I didn't move I would die. Moving through corridor after corridor and turning every turn I eventually found myself in a large circular room…with a fire burning in the center. I scrambled to it and put my hands out waiting for them to heat up; once they were heated I began to rub my body vigorously in an attempt to heat up. Once I felt my body return to a moderate temperature I stood up and looked around. It was weird that a fire was just sitting in the center of a room with nobody here to keep an eye on it…which means someone was here earlier to lite that fire.

"But who?" I asked myself. Suddenly a drop of water landed from the ceiling and I looked up to see a group of demons frozen in ice on the ceiling, "What the fu-" Suddenly a blast of cold magic whizzed by my face making me spiral to the ground in surprise. I looked over to see a woman in scantily clad red clothing standing near an entry way…no, those wings and that tail make her out to be less a woman and more a demon.

"Poo, my aim was off." She said in a playful tone, "I guess I can't hit them all the time."

"I'm guessing you're the one who broke in and took everybody from the castle?" I asked drawing my sword and shield.

"Broke in? Ha! Once I flirted with the gate-guard and promised him a small, shall we say, 'favor' he was more than willing to open the front gate for me. As for everyone else, they were more than willing to follow me once I got on their good side." She gave a playful wink towards me and I tightened my stance throwing a glare at her, "Don't feel like loosening up? That's too bad; I'm known to be quiet fun if you give me the chance." I continued to glare at her; I had no interest in flimsy teasers. She changed her face into a hardened expression, "Alright then, I don't mind taking my food down by force if I have to." Her nails extended into long blades and her wings spread out as she took off of the ground. She lunged forward and I blocked with my shield only to feel my shoulders be slashed at; as I reeled from the pain I watched my shield fall apart in perfectly cut pieces.

"How…" I turned back to her as she flaunted her blade-like nails.

"Flimsy wood can't stand up to my beautifully manicured nails."

"Whatever!" Tossing the remains into the fire I leapt at the demon; (Blade Rush!) I slashed through her and turned to see her wail in pain and agony, weak.

"Oooh, ehhhh, ahhhhhhhahahahahahahahaha!" What? She wasn't hurt at all, "I suppose you did do some damage. Look!" She held out her finger to show a wound equal to a paper cut on the base of her finger, "Well it's better than some of the attacks I suppose. Better than I expected at least." But still not good enough!

"Don't toy with me you harlot!" I swung at her and she danced playfully around my blade as I continued to swing.

"This is fun…oh! Let's play tag."

"Stop making fun of me!" (Hurricane Slash!) I spun and slammed her into the ground making it crack from the force, "Toying with my strength is no game you trash!" She stood up and dusted herself off.

"No fair…well since you didn't touch me I guess you're still it. Now follow me!" She flew out the open doorway and I followed ready to carve her like a turkey. I followed her as she moved through the mountain tunnels leading me further down the path; I didn't care though, all I wanted was to take her out, "Come on, just a few steps away, you've almost got me."

"Shut up!" I continued to chase her as she continued to lead me wherever she was trying to take me. As she turned another corner I followed and was surprised to find I was inside another large domed room; she stood in the center while all around her were demons frozen in ice…not just any demons though, I could see everyone from the castle and even Laharl, Etna and Flonne!

"Welcome to my inner sanctum…or maybe my love chamber is more appropriate…although love isn't very well my forte. I dwell in the more…instinctive side of it."…Now I get it.

"You're a succubus. Aren't you?"

"Hm? You didn't know? I thought that's why you came here?"

"I came here to get the castle staff back."

"Really?" Her eyes narrowed, "Because from what I see you don't really care about them."!, "From what I can tell it seems like the only reason you're here is to prove something."

"And what the hell do you know!?"

"Well I know you like to make girls cry." What!?

"What…what do you mean?" She giggled before snapping her fingers; a block of ice fell to the ground in front of us and I looked to see Nina was frozen in the block…as a tier was running down her face.

"I found this girl in a sobbing mess when I approached her and I could feel something pouring out of her body…true despair. Her crying could show agony but her soul was consumed with misery…enough that I dare say she could have been ready to take her own life." I looked at her hand to see she was gripping a small knife…what…what the hell was going on!?

"You're lying! She wouldn't do that! She's stronger than that!"

"Hmm…maybe in battle…but mentally she's as delicate as a flower…and you seemed to step on that flower from what I saw…such a callous disregard of her emotions. It's no wonder she came to this point. Lucky for you I was there to pick her up and stop her in her tracks…quite literally too." I put my hand against the ice and felt a cold overwhelm me…but it wasn't the cold of the ice…it felt like a cold that burrowed through to your soul…was this empathy…no, it was guilt.

"…Release her."

"Hm?"

"You heard me. Release her now."

"You really think I'll give up my food just like that? I don't think so." She snapped her fingers and everyone disappeared in the blink of an eye leaving just the succubus and me in an empty room with me on one end and her on the other. Drawing my blade I narrowed my eyes to focus just on her and watched as she did the same, this time drawing a scythe instead of her nails…her wings and tail were gone as well.

We rushed at each other and clashed metal pushing for an advantage with all our might; I felt my foot slide forward and spun knocking her scythe up, I took another swing at her center and she stepped back just out of reach of the blade. I pulled my blade back and dashed at her angling slightly up; (Blade Rush!) sweeping through her I felt my feet leave the ground and turned to see she had flown into the air as well and pulled my blade back again; (Blade Rush!) I slid into the ground and turned to see she had fallen to the ground. As she got up I took a deep breath and dashed at her picking up wind and spinning around her; (Hurricane Slash!) raising her into the air I leapt up and swung down sending her crashing into the ground and stabbed at her center creating a spray of blood. She coughed slightly before kicking me back and standing up; she spun her scythe before disappearing instantly; I stood in place before feeling something behind me and ducked to the ground as a scythe blade swung where my neck had been. Before I could get back up she swung the other end of the scythe clocking me in the face with the other end and sending me sliding into the far wall with a crash. Before I could stand up she rushed at me stabbing the staff end into my stomach causing me to vomit onto my clothes; I coughed uncontrollably before swiping at her feet and hitting her with the blunt of my blade as she fell sending her flying. We both took a moment to stand up and looked at each other panting; I readied my blade as she readied her scythe and we rushed at each other again, as our metal clashed I repositioned my blade moving under her scythe and swinging up making the weapon go flying as I pointed my blade at her face.

"So…I guess you're stronger than I expected." She smiled at me as she said that.

"…No, I'm not." I answered swinging at the air around us. Within a few moments the world around us began to crack and shatter into nothing.

When it cleared I was pinned to the ground as the succubus had her hands wrapped around my throat; grabbing my blade quickly I thrust into her side as her face turned to shock and then pain as the blade pierced her body.

"You…you broke free." She slumped off my body and I stood up pulling my blade out as she lied on the ground clutching the new wound.

"Now…LET. HER. GO." I demanded and she looked at me before snapping her fingers again; the ice holding Nina shattered and I dropped my blade as I moved over to grab her before she fell to the ground. Nina looked around before looking up at me.

"Owen?" I pulled her in hugging her tightly.

"Nina, I'm so sorry for everything I said…I didn't want you to go to this extreme…I'm sorry I yelled at you, I'm sorry I treated you so badly…just please…don't take your life."

"Owen…okay." When I pulled away I looked to see she still had a tier on her face and wiped it away with my thumb, "Sorry I made you so worried."

"Don't apologize. You'll make me feel bad again." We laughed lightly enjoying the calm air until I heard a small groan.

"What's that?" Nina asked and we stood up moving over to the succubus, "Are you okay?"

"Careful Nina! She's the one who froze you in ice!"

"Oh…really?" I nodded and she stood up pulling out her staff, "Mega Heal!" A light enveloped the succubus and to both our surprise she stood up looking completely healed.

"Ah…wha…why?" I asked in complete confusion and she looked at me innocently.

"Well if it wasn't for her then I might not be here to hear your apology. Thank you for stopping me…sorry what is your name?"

"Oh…um…I don't actually have one…never found it necessary." She replied completely dumfounded by Nina's action.

"Oh…well you're a succubus right? Then…how about I call you Sukia for short?"

"S-Sukia!?"

"Do you like it?" She fidgeted in place as her cheeks turned red.

"Y-Yeah…I actually do…Sukia." …Weird.

"Can you do us a favor and bring all our friends back to the castle?" Nina asked.

"Sure…I can do that." Nina…she really was a powerful girl…but this time I didn't find it as intimidating, it was more…comforting than before.

"You'll be paying ten-fold for what you did!" Laharl yelled at Sukia who kneeled in front of the throne, "From now on you're my vassal! You'll work for me until the day you die!"

"Yes sir." Sukia replied.

"And you!" Laharl pointed at me and I took a step back in shock; he must still be pissed about what I did, "For disobeying my orders you'll be broken in until you never disobey another order I give you! You'll be trained until your bones turn to dust!"…So it's intense training…alright, bring it on.

"Don't worry-" Nina began putting her hands on mine, "I'll help you through it."

"…I'd appreciate that very much Nina." Hearing a whip snap I looked over to see Etna holding a whip and giving me a sadistic smile.

"Time to have some fun."

"Etna I don't think that's how training works." Flonne said looking worried.

"Corporal punishment is quiet effective actually."

"No!" As they argued back and forth I kept my eyes on Nina as she held my hand tightly…it felt nice to be with her…I wonder why though? Doesn't matter right now I suppose.

"Alright, brutal punishment with an hour break in the middle. That's a good compromise." Is she joking!?

"Like hell that is!"


	6. Wickedness

"And that's the true value of love!" Flonne said finishing her seminar on love; Laharl said that as punishment I was supposed to listen to her prattle on and he was right…this was a special kind of hell I was dealing with, "Any questions?"

"Wouldn't that be in situations of pure love?" Nina asked; she and Sukia had decided to accompany me so I wouldn't be alone…but so far they weren't helping at all.

"Yes but then it just means it can overcome anything!"

"Stop asking questions!" I yelled at Nina trying to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"Don't yell at her you jerk!" Sukia yelled at me, "We're actually quite interested…unlike you!" She pulled at my ear as she said that and I swatted her hand away.

"You're right, but I'm stuck until she's done so I'd like to get this over with!"

"Sounds like someone isn't taking my lesson to heart." Flonne said sounding disappointed.

"You're class is just a cheap way to torture me, I hope you understand that Flonne."

"Even so I will use this opportunity to teach demons about love! This is a stepping stone to great things!" She had a fire in her eye as she said that and I slowly moved my head onto my desk in boredom and aggravation, "Now repeat after me class. A life is…?"

"Precious." We all responded.

"You should show…?"

"Kindness not disgust."

"Only love…?"

"Will keep us happy."

"Very good! You're all very good students." Ugh…end me now.

An hour later I walked out of the classroom exhausted as Nina and Sukia chatted behind me about the lesson.

"Love…isn't that what you specialized in Sukia?" Nina asked.

"No, as a succubus I was more lust than actual love."

"Yeah, less hand holding and more grinding." I added.

"Like you're one to talk virgin!"

"Yeah, because unlike you I don't give it out for free!"

"Ha! Like anyone would want ANY piece of you!"

"At least everything I have is real miss fake breasts!"

"Hey! They're all natural you sleaze ball!"

"Harlot!"

"Filthy Swine!"

"Please stop!" Nina cried making both of us turn to her, "You're starting to draw a crowd." I looked around to see a bunch of demons had circled around us in interest. Stepping back we both cleared our throats understanding the situation at hand.

"We'll continue this later." I said and Sukia nodded.

"Agreed." She replied and I heard various booing or grunts of disappointment as the crowd dispersed, "So what's next Nina?"

"Well I'm going to go spend some time in the library. I want to see what else my magic can do." Nina answered.

"Then I think I'll accompany you." Sukia said as her tail wagged.

"I'm coming too." I said, "I'd like to see what else a blade can do in this world."

"Well that's okay." Nina said and Sukia's tail slowed down its wagging.

"Okay then." She said looking away.

"Hey Sukia if you're going to lie then you'd better get a less obvious tell."

I sighed looking at the stack of books I had found on warriors…it was very unfortunate to say the least; every book was either more of a pamphlet or had 'for idiots' in the title…was every warrior an idiot!?

"Maybe I should learn by instinct rather than books."

"Spoken like a true moron." Sukia replied.

"You really want to pick a fight today don't you!?"

"Shh!" The librarian said making both of us clam up instantly. I cracked open the 'so you want to be a warrior' pamphlet and skimmed through it.

"Becoming a warrior is as easy as being part of a gym…in some cases a gym membership will be mandatory to build up the necessary muscle to even become a level one warrior. Neglect of your studies will also be a mandatory in order to dedicate yourself wholly to the warrior life style."

"It's no wonder they don't have any brains. It's all muscle up there." Sukia said.

"I'm sure they're not all idiots." Nina said and Sukia started flipping through a giant book before stopping on a page with a picture of a very buff man.

"The strongest one was the biggest idiot ever and his wife had him wrapped around her finger for his whole life."

"How is that wife bit relevant?" I asked.

"His wife was the one who told him to take on the demon general who was threatening to tear down their house."

"How did that end?" Nina asked.

"He took out the general and his wife took over the army."…, "She then spent the next ten years overtaking all the land she could and pushing her husband into becoming a force of nature."…, "Unfortunately he did and accidently sent his wife into the afterlife when a fly landed on her face and he swung to swat it sending her flying into the nearby volcano. He promptly ran the army into the ground after that and died after eating a turkey leg too fast."

"…I don't want to go out that way." I said in utter shock at the story I just heard, "Maybe I'll just keep training my mind and body equally."

"Suite yourself. Sounds more fun to be brainless."

"Maybe for you!"

"Shh!" The librarian said again.

"Here's an interesting fact." Nina said holding open a book, "Warriors are known to have very pure and honest souls. They're known to be big idiots but that actually makes them very likeable."…Likable huh?

"Must have skipped you on that then huh Owen?"

"You really like bringing me down a peg don't you Sukia?"

"It's a nice pastime." Great, my pain is her pleasure. Lucky me.

We spent most of the day in the library flipping through books about magic and sword techniques; we even came across a few books that were about techniques to use both at the same time…I think I'll avoid something that advanced…at least for now.

"…Hm? How long have we been here?" Nina asked and I looked around in shock at the lack of people that were just here. I looked up at the wall clock near the front desk to see it was almost ten at night; we must have been here for at least six hours if not longer, this has got to be the longest I've ever spent reading a book…then again these can't be counted as books.

"Come on, let's head to bed. No telling what Laharl will have us do tomorrow on his quest to be the biggest pain in the Netherworld." I said standing up. I looked up to see Sukia had passed out in the seat next to Nina and quickly hit her with one of Nina's magic books.

"OW! What the hell!"

"Man, these things are thick." I said waving the book around.

"I hope you get hit by a bus!"

"Come on, you can rest in your room." Nina said rubbing Sukia's head. We walked back to the sleeping quarters and I gave a loud yawn feeling exhausted from the long day, I didn't even train and yet I feel like I just dealt with more than a normal human does…I'm becoming less human aren't I? Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone slip into the shadow; moving over I shinned a light but was confused when nothing was there…must have been a trick of the eyes…hopefully. I really don't want to deal with another assassin. I slumped onto my bed and slowly drifted off to sleep as the sound of moving feet were heard in the distance.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I shot up from my bed with a start and looked around in a panic at what just made that noise; suddenly I was pulled from my bed as my sheets went flying and Flonne started scrambling all over, under and through my bed tearing my already disheveled mattress to shreds.

"Hey! Laharl isn't going to replace that!" I said trying to stop her but she quickly gripped me by my shirt and began shaking me.

"Where is it? Where is it!?"

"Get off me!" I pushed her off and she moved on to the next bed ripping that apart as the person sat on the floor as confused as I was.

"Not here? Oooohhh where is it!?"

"What's going on here?" I turned around to see Laharl and Etna come walking in; I pointed to Flonne who was now pulling up floorboards and taking stone out of the wall in a fever like panic, "Has that love freak lost her mind!?"

"Did she ever have one?" Sukia asked as she hovered above us, "Oh well, she can't get my bed."

"Especially when you share 'a night' with anyone who offers."

"Drop dead."

"Not now you two!" Laharl shouted at us, "Stop that this instant you meddlesome angel!"

"Laharl! Have you seen my pendant!?" Flonne asked grabbing his hands, "Please help me find it!"

"Get off me!"

"Why are you so worked up over a pendant?" Etna asked.

"The seraph gave me that pendant. It's a holy relic from Celestia!" Flonne explained before falling to her knees and breathing heavily.

"Flonne!" Nina moved over to help her up and put her hand to Flonne's forehead, "Are you okay…you don't have a fever."

"That pendant…it's the only thing protecting me in the Netherworld…without it…I'll disappear." Disappear!?

"Then we've got to find it quickly!" I said feeling very worried all of a sudden, "Where did you have it last!?"

"I…always wear it…somebody must have taken it last night…while I was asleep." …That shadow…it must have been whoever was skulking around last night!

"Whatever, nice knowing you love freak." Laharl said walking away.

"Flonne is in trouble! Shouldn't we help her?" Nina asked and Sukia sighed.

"Demons aren't good folk. If Flonne wants help then she'll need to offer up something as payment." She explained.

"That's right," Etna said stepping up to Flonne and looking her directly in the face with a sly smile, "so what have you got Flonne?"

"…If you help me…then I'll give you something amazing." Flonne choked out between her heavy breaths, "I promise…it'll pay for it in full."

"Please, if I wanted it then I'd just steal it from you and save the headache." Laharl replied.

"…You'd hurt weak little me?"

"I'm a demon you fool! It doesn't matter if your weak, old or diseased!"

"…Fine, then my reward will never be yours!" Woah, Flonne has back bone…that's weird to see.

"What's that mean?"

"…"

"Tell me!"

"…"

"Fine then!" Laharl said sounding agrivated, "I've got some time to kill. Let's go find your pendant!"…Glad to see he wants to help suddenly, "But I'm only doing it for that reward!"…tight ass.

"Laharl…thank you."…Damn it Flonne…sometimes you're too sweet.

"Prince, we have a problem." The gate keeper said as we approached her, "Someone opened the gate to the Blazing Core without me knowing…who could have done this?" Everyone turned to look at me with a glare.

"H-Hey, I only did that once and I don't know how! You think I would use it carelessly again!?"

"Well-" Sukia began.

"I mean-" Etna started.

"No comments from the peanut gallery!" I shouted back.

"It was most likely the thief then." Nina said.

"Fine, let's find him and beat them into next week before taking that pendant back!" Laharl said sounding fired up.

"Just the pendant?" Etna asked.

"Of course not! Everything else he has as well, he'll be stripped bare when I'm done."…That's an image…ewww.

"That's our prince, as ruthless as ever!"

"Hmhmhmhm…you flatter me."

"Can we at least leave him pants if you're planning that?" I asked.

"Seconded." Nina added. I looked over at Flonne to see she was still having trouble standing up and moved to help Nina keep her up.

"Thanks Owen." She said and I felt my cheeks heat up.

"N-No problem…I owe you for the love lesson."…That was a lame excuse.

"Come on, let's head to the Blazing Core." Etna said stepping through the portal behind Laharl.

"Flonne, are you sure you want to come with us?" Nina asked.

"You are very weak. You might not make it very far." Sukia added.

"No…I'm going to come…I have to give Laharl his gift." Flonne said standing up and giving a confident look as she strode through the gateway.

"She seems confident for a struggling angel." Sukia commented.

"She's going to overcome this." Nina commented, "She's got a reason to fight."

"How can you tell?" I asked.

"You were passed out but during the pillaging session at Hogmeiser's estate Flonne risked her life to stop Laharl…she wanted to show him how great love can be at the cost of her own life…she's going to fight hard to show him how she feels." That's…pretty amazing actually…purposes…I wonder what mine is.

"Okay! I'm getting sick of this!" I said wiping the sweat off my brow in anger, "Can we stop going places that are either too cold or too hot! I'm sweating off my shirt here!"

"Way ahead of you on that." Sukia said grabbing the ends of her shirt.

"Keep your sexy body under that shirt!" Laharl shouted stopping her at the top of her waist…I hate her less now and I hate myself for it.

"Fine, you're lucky I don't wear a bra or I'd fight back."…Stop going against me body!

"Whew." I looked over to see Nina had removed her hoodie and was wearing a blue shirt and…I…was not expecting that.

"Put that back on this instant!" Laharl yelled and Nina stepped back in shock, "I have enough issues with Sukia as it is! I'm not dealing with you as well!"

"…Is something wrong?" Nina asked confused as Sukia looked at her chest.

"…Not bad…not as good as mine but…still a nice pair none the less."

"Um…thanks?" Suddenly I heard low growls and grinding teeth and turned to see both Etna and Flonne looking at Nina with angry looks in their eye…and a flaming aura to match.

"Nina…put the hoodie back on…for your sake." I said and she gave a meek screech looking at Etna and Flonne before quickly putting her hoodie back on.

"Screw this, I'm going back." Etna said before Laharl put his hand out to stop her.

"Look." He bent down and picked up a white feather; he twirled it in his hand before Flonne stepped up and grabbed the feather.

"This is an angel's feather…it's from someone higher ranked then myself though." Grabbing the feather I compared it to Flonne's wings to see they were much longer than hers.

"Yeah…that's definitely not yours."

"Wait…that means that an angel passed through here right?" Nina asked and we turned to Flonne who looked down in deep thought.

"Does that mean an angel stole your pendant?" Etna asked.

"That can't be! An angel wouldn't do that!"

"But wouldn't angel be the only ones who know about the pendant?" Sukia asked, "Seems pretty suspicious if you ask me." Flonne looked down sadly realizing she was right.

"It doesn't matter anyway." Laharl said, "Celestia can deal with its own problems, I'm just here to find that pendant." With that Laharl walked forward while Flonne sulked behind.

"…Don't worry Flonne." I said feeling guilty, "I'm…I'm sure Celestia isn't doing anything."

"…Thanks." She replied giving me a sad smile. Hearing a giggle behind me I turned around expecting Sukia but was surprised to see Nina, I felt my face grow hot as she giggled.

"You're actually pretty sweet you know." Nina said.

"I-I just felt guilty, that's all." I replied and she giggled again.

"Well remember, warriors have an honest soul." With that she walked past me to catch up with the others…honest…no, there's no way…not for me anyway.

After a few hours of searching and a gaggle of demon attacks we came to a crevice where an intense heat was pouring from it making me feel slightly woozy; I'll never get used to the intense weather patterns of the netherworld.

"Cold Wind!" Nina shouted and I felt a cool wind blow across my body.

"That's better." Sukia said quivering with delight, "Thanks Nina."

"Yeah, thanks." I added, "But maybe a heat resistance spell would be better." I could feel the wind start to fade letting the hot weather back in.

"Hmm…I did read a small passage about that yesterday…hang on." She stuck her staff into the ground and began scribbling in the dirt with her eyes closed, "…Got it! Heat Shield!" Suddenly a red field surrounded my body and I couldn't feel the heat around me at all.

"That's the stuff."

"Much better." Sukia said curling into her wings, "I still feel sweaty though."

"I can't stop that unfortunately." Nina said.

"What were you doing before you cast the spell?" I asked.

"Just thinking. I think better when I scribble."

"That makes sense. I think better when I juggle something between my hands."

"Keep moving you idiots!" Laharl shouted, "If we're going to find that amulet then we need to keep moving!" Catching up I looked to see someone standing in the distance…wait…he looks familiar.

"Thank you god." He said as we approached him and I instantly recognized the cocky self-satisfied voice; that was Mid-Boss. Wait…no, his name is definitely Mid-Boss.

"Moron, what demon thanks a god?"

"Huh? Who just called moi a moron?"

"Me." Laharl stepped forward confidently and Mid-Boss looked over at us all.

"Oh, what a lucky day indeed, to be able to confront my rival once again."

"Wait…when did I become your rival?"

"When you blasted him with the power of an Overlord." Nina explained.

"I doubt that's rival worthy. He would have to put up an actual fight to consider himself my rival."

"Well prince, not many demons are lining up for that title." Etna said.

"That's because no demon is strong enough to call themselves my rival!"

"Careful Laharl, your ego is showing." I said and he gave me a glare.

"So who is this guy?" Sukia asked looking confused.

"I am, Vyre-"

"His name is Mid-Boss." I said quickly, "Just a lowly demon with no qualities to be an actual threat."

"Don't underestimate me yet! I didn't even use my full power when we fought before."

"Uh-huh. Sure." I said in a dismissive tone.

"Besides, my name is the Dark Adonis-"

"Ah! My pendant!" Flonne cried making all of us look at Mid-boss's hand; he was holding a small yellow pendant with a beautiful baby blue stone in the center and the whole thing was hanging from a sturdy, yet elegant looking, chain.

"Hm? What a lovely mademoiselle. You recognize this pendant?"

"Yes, it is a gift from the seraph and very important to me! Please, Mr. Mid-Boss. May I have my pendant back?"

"Please, I prefer to be called-"

"No one cares what you want to be called!" Laharl yelled holding out his open palm, "Now hand over that pendant!"

"Sorry but I found this pendant, therefore it belongs to moi!"

"That's some pretty crappy logic!" I yelled.

"No, it's demon logic." Etna explained, "If you lose it then it's your fault that it now belongs to someone else. Even the prince would do it."

"Shut up! Don't put me on his level!" Laharl yelled.

"Please, you have to give me that pendant; if you don't it will punish you." Flonne said with a worried tone.

"Punish?" Etna asked.

"Yes, the pendant punishes those with a wicked heart." We all looked at Mid-Boss waiting for something to happen to him…and then suddenly…nothing?

"What the hell? Isn't he supposed to be punished?" Laharl asked and Flonne looked absolutely confused.

"Is it broken?"

"I doubt a relic like that would just break." Sukia said.

"Maybe he has a pure soul?" Nina offered and I felt my skin crawl as she said that.

"Do me a favor and never say that about Mid-Boss again please." I asked.

"Yeah…I'm going to avoid that as well." She replied rubbing her left arm uncomfortably.

"That is why I was given the name 'Dark Adonis'." Mid-Boss said praising himself.

"Shut it! I told you your name is Mid-Boss!" Laharl said.

"Maybe, but I am no ordinary Mid-Boss."…Did he just-

"Hey, you just admitted to being a Mid-Boss." Etna pointed out and his expression changed to pure anger.

"Enough! I will crush you all so I will never hear the name 'Mid-Boss' again!" He moved into a stance and I felt a strange pressing sensation as I looked at him; he wasn't the same Mid-Boss as before, "Be cautious, I have trained since our last confrontation and am prepared to show you my full potential!" As I looked at him I felt my heart begin to race and my hand was on my sword and shield before I could even think about drawing them…this felt familiar…I couldn't put my finger on it though…he's tough though, I can feel it…and I'm ready!

Drawing my blade I jumped at Mid-Boss; (Blade Rush!) I slashed through him and slid into the ground with a quick turn.

"Haaaaahaha! That is not enough to stop me anymore!" Mid-Boss exclaimed, "Now take this! Adonic Strike!" He suddenly disappeared and pink petals began to appear around me; out of nowhere Mid-Boss appeared and attack quickly before disappearing again and striking me again from a different position. He was moving too fast for me to counter or block and all I could do was absorb his hits and hope I can still move when he's done; with his last hit he disappeared along with his petals and appeared back in his previous spot. I fell to my knees as the pain finally hit me and began to breathe heavily as my lungs ached with every breath.

"Owen!" Nina yelled as she rushed over and put her hand on my back.

"Yep…he's definitely tougher." I choked out between coughs.

"Mega Heal!" A soothing light surrounded me and I stood up feeling the pain go away.

"Thanks…I owe you."

"Owe me." Sukia said striding past us, "After all I'm going to tear this idiot apart." Her nails extended and her wings extended as she kicked off the ground and into the air. She swung at Mid-Boss as he dodged, blocked and countered making the battle look heated and intense as we all watched from the sidelines.

"This is taking too long." Laharl said as he raised his hand up creating a power sphere.

"No!" I said pushing his hand down, "You might hit Sukia."

"So what?"

"Laharl…" Flonne said weakly.

"…Whatever."

"Prince, are you actually listening to them?" Etna asked surprised.

"Don't be stupid! I just don't want to lose a vassal! Do you know how much that would set me back?" I rolled my eyes at his reasoning and turned back to the fight. As I turned back I saw Sukia suddenly punched sending her flying backwards at Nina; my turn! I moved forward and took a swing at Mid-Boss catching his back; he swung his foot at me and I blocked with my shield before pushing it forward and taking a swing at his front as he started dodging and retaliating as I blocked and countered.

"I will admit that you seem more competent then when we last met." Mid-Boss commented as he dodged my slash.

"And you're not the pushover I first saw." I returned blocking his punch.

"Yet I do not sense much change in you." What?

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is-" Suddenly I felt my stomach lurch in intense pain, "-you have not become stronger…you have only grown in strength." I was suddenly sent flying back and felt my body collide with something soft.

"Get off me!" Sukia yelled pushing me off and standing up, "He's stronger than he looks; good reflexes…solid defense…nice ass."

"Sukia." I said snapping my fingers.

"Sorry…little off topic there." Nina stepped forward and we watched as she approached Mid-Boss.

"Would you like to try as well young miss?" Mid-Boss asked and Nina took a deep breath before she raised her staff into the sky.

"Omega Fire!" Suddenly the crevice shinned brightly and the ground began to shake uncontrollably; out of the depths an enormous channel of lava rose and rocketed into the sky. We all watched as it blasted from the sky back to the ground directly at Mid-Boss consuming him entirely; until it was over we couldn't even catch a glimpse of Mid-Boss…or what remained of him after that attack. When it was over Mid-Boss stood there looking like burnt jerky that was reheated and then burnt again; he tried to move but he just shook his leg before putting it back where it was before. I looked over at Nina as she fell to her knees and panted heavily; I quickly moved over and grabbed her shoulder helping her up, "…Thanks…I'm a bit…winded."

"How did you pull that off!?" Sukia asked wide-eyed, "That was tier three magic! No one can just go from tier two to three as quickly as that!"

"I…doubt I'll be able to do that again for a while." Nina responded.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"Well…this is a very warm place, the crevice is proof of that…so I was able to channel the energy here and…pull that to make use of tier three magic. I read about using the lands energy…last night…didn't expect to use it this soon though."…She just went for it…it's amazing to see how ambitious she is on the field and yet so calm and meek back home…I wonder which side of her is the real her?

"I…did not expect that at all." Mid-Boss said now covered in various bandages and looking slightly disheveled…all he did was eat a candy bar…the Netherworld is weird, "I…shall show mercy for the sake of the young mademoiselle."

"Yeah right." I said rolling my eyes.

"But let it be known…my name…is the Dark…Adonis." With those final words he limped away slowly before tripping down the cliff side; as he fell the pendant flew out of his pocket and into the lava crevice.

"Ahh! My pendant!" Flonne dove for her pendant before I pulled her back.

"It's not worth your life!" I said clutching her arm tightly.

"Technically it is her life." Etna elaborated making me glare at her. I looked over to see Laharl had dived in and grabbed the pendant before clutching the ledge with his scarf and hoping back up.

"Stop making such grim faces." He said as a purple flame engulfed his hand…that wasn't his power though, "Hurry and take it. My hand is burning."

"Laharl…" Flonne took the pendant out of his hand and fastened it back around her neck; her face began to gain some of its color back and she seemed fuller of life than before, "Thank you."

"The pendant is telling me that my heart is wicked. That's good to know." For him I suppose so…

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you do all that for the pendant?" He chuckled at her.

"Because I wanted that reward you promised! Now hand it over!" Tch! That…overblown ego infested brat! Flonne giggled at him making his cheeks turn red, "W-What's so funny?"

"Thank you Laharl."

"S-Stop that, it's giving me chills." He was beat red at this point making all of us laugh quietly…even Etna, "Just give me my reward!"

"I already gave it to you though."

"What!?"

"Put your hand to your heart…do you feel it…that warmth inside your heart. That's the feeling of kindness. You pretend to be evil but there is definitely kindness in your heart. I know it…and this is the proof. To give you the opportunity to realize that kindness; that is my reward." Laharl looked completely baffled at what she said almost to the point where his jaw was hitting the ground.

"A-A-Are you mental!? How can you say something so ludicrous!?"

"Kindness is love. The day is near when you will awaken to love."

"Unbelievable! I've been tricked by an angel! I'll remember this you love freak!" He jumped off leaving all of us behind as we chuckled at his childish attitude; I guess being a brat wasn't so bad if he acts like this sometimes…I wonder if I can video tape it.

"Deceiving the prince, huh? Not bad at all Flonne." Etna said nudging her shoulder affectionately, "You look pretty happy about that."

"Yes, I am. I now know there is love within Laharl's heart."

"Yeah, it's just under a mountainous size of greed." I said.

"It's still there…that's the important part." Nina said.

"Right," Flonne said, "and if there is love inside him then there is love inside all demons. One day, angels and demons could be friends. I couldn't be happier."

"That might be a bit much." I said.

"Yeah, you hit a single; don't expect a home run on your next swing." Sukia added.

"You really are a love freak." Etna commented, "But you're bound to be disappointed if you keep expecting things to turn out so cheery. Most demons would choke you from behind without a second thought."

"That may be a bit darker than needed." Nina said.

"Are you like that Etna?" Flonne asked.

"Maybe, you'll find out soon enough." Etna replied giggling.

"Come on, let's head back." I said sheathing my weapons.

"Yeah, if we don't hurry then the prince will close the gate and we'd have to walk all the way back to the castle."

"Yeah, let's not do that." As we walked back Sukia hovered over Flonne and I looked to see her eyes were glued to Flonne's pendant.

"So…that thing punishes the wicked?" She asked and Flonne nodded.

"Yep, it's made so that angel trainees like me can survive in the netherworld safely, only those with a pure heart can hold it and those with wickedness in their hearts will be punished." Sukia poked it hesitantly and shook her finger.

"It's very hot."

"That just means there is wickedness in your heart."

"Hmm…" Nina touched it as well but she seemed unaffected, "I don't feel anything." Flonne suddenly became teary-eyed before engulfing Nina in a big hug.

"I am SOOOO proud of you Nina…my lessons have really touched your heart." I rolled my eyes and chuckled; it's probably because Nina isn't a demon, she has no wickedness in her heart to begin with. As they separated I reached for the necklace and suddenly my hand was consumed in a purple flame; I shook with all my might but it didn't fade…it seemed to grow larger and larger.

"OWEN!" I shook with all my might but the flames continued to grow until I felt my consciousness fade into oblivion…what did this mean…and will it burn my soul…or was I already burned to my soul? Those were my last thoughts before I was dragged into unconsciousness with Nina's screams being the last thing I heard.


	7. Connection

…Ngh…Ow…why does my arm feel like it's inside an oven? I sat up and opened my eyes to see I was in the infirmary at the castle…again.

"I've got to stop waking up here." I said clutching my head with my bandaged arm…wait…, "Why is my arm bandaged?"

"Huh? Oh you're awake." I looked over to see the nurse giving me a slight look of surprise before setting her book down and walking over, "Well you seem alright." I waved my bandaged arm at her and she just looked uninterestedly at it, "What did you expect? You were set on fire. Be lucky only your arm is bandaged." That's right; the last thing I remember was touching Flonne's pendant and being…punished by its power…after that I passed out from the pain.

"So…what happened after I passed out?" She shrugged.

"I don't know, I just took care of your torched arm. I wasn't there." Great help.

"Then at least tell me how bad my arm is."

"It's fine, just horribly burned."

"Oh yeah, sounds super."

"Your hair took a worse hit."

"What do you mean?" She handed me a hand mirror and I saw my blond hair had turned black near my ears and turned back to blonde near the top and stood straight up in a spiked fashion; there goes my straight haired style.

"Sounds like someone is feeling better." I looked up to see Sukia looking down at me with a smirk.

"How long have you been there?"

"Oh…about an hour."

"…That's creepy."

"Still not as long as she has though." She pointed to the other side of the bed and I was surprised to see Nina sleeping in a chair nearby, "She's been here for as long as you have…smells like it too." …Whew, she wasn't kidding…wait…

"How long have I been out?" Sukia floated for a moment, humming to herself.

"About…a week?" A week!?

"Jeez…all that over a burn?"

"Well-" As I started to move I felt a burning on my chest; taking off my shirt I saw there were burn marks and scabs all over my skin, "-it was a bit more than just a burn."

"What the hell happened to me? I look like I was- ah!"

"Lay down, you still have another few days of healing before you can get up." The nurse pushed me back down and I felt a small sting as I hit the mattress.

"You weren't covered in normal fire." Sukia said.

"What kind of fire was it?" I asked.

"Celestial blaze." I turned my head to the entrance to see Flonne, Etna and Laharl standing at the entrance, "It's a type of punishment that can leave intense marks of your sin."

"And judging by your marks I'm guessing you have some MAJOR sins." Etna said tapping my chest and making me cringe from the pain.

"What sins? As far as I know I'm not worth this." I replied motioning to my marks and scabs.

"Even then shouldn't demons have a natural defense against stuff like this?" Sukia asked, "Divine punishment is painful but not this painful for a demon."…

"Then you're just weak." Laharl said bluntly, "I'm going to have to double- no, quadruple your training! This is just pitiful." He kicked the bed and I fell onto the floor with a crash, "Get up, now!"

"Stop!" Suddenly I saw a flow of brown hair and looked to see Nina was holding me, "He's hurt. Just leave him alone."

"Don't talk back to me vassal! You do as I order!"

"Laharl! He needs rest!" Flonne shouted, "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Give it a rest! I'm a demon! I don't care!"

"Prince as much fun as it is to torture him. I don't want to kill him. It's no fun if he's dead because of something I DIDN'T do." Etna said…I couldn't tell if she was being nice or just selfish…probably the latter.

"Grrrr…Fine! I'm out of here!" Laharl stormed off with Etna following behind; she gave a quick wave goodbye before following the prince. I gave a small sigh of relief as Nina and Flonne helped me back into my bed.

"Thanks…that hurt."

"Are you feeling better?" Nina asked getting really close to my face.

"I-I'm fine…well…as fine as I can be anyway." I replied sliding away from her.

"Hang on," Flonne pulled out her small staff and held it out, "Power of love!" As a pink field appeared around me I felt my tension lessen, it definitely made it easier to breath that's for sure.

"Thanks Flonne." I replied and she giggled.

"No problem, it was kind of my fault after all."

"…I just didn't expect that when I touched it."

"None of us did." Sukia replied, "It wasn't normal that's for sure."

"…Hey Owen?" Nina said, "Is it because we're human?"

"Nina!" I shouted in surprise; she just blurted it out.

"Wait…you two are human?" Sukia asked looking mildly shocked, "That explains a few things. Your scents definitely weren't very demon and it bugged me." Huh…expected more of a shocked response.

"You two are human!?" There we go, "Wha-wha-wha-what have I done!?"

"Huh? Is something wrong?" Nina asked and Flonne began bowing and groveling to both of us rapidly.

"I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, SOOOOOOOOO sorry! I can't believe I hurt humans! The seraph always told me humans look similar and I never even thought about checking you two! I should have known it would hurt a human that bad. Ahhh, the seraph is going to punish me for this big time!"

"Calm down Flonne." Nina said trying to stop her from groveling at us.

"They said humans were more fragile but I never knew how fragile!"

"I'm not fragile!" I shouted uncontrollably making everyone look at me with wide eyes, "…Sorry…I'm not fragile though…I was the best in school and I know I'm not weak." Suddenly images of Soren, the mercenary from Porkmeister's estate, Mid-Boss and…Nina flashed in my head, "I'm…not weak."

"…Okay then…let's change the subject." Sukia said, "I want to know why it affected Owen but not you Nina."

"That was strange." Flonne added going into a look of deep thought, "…Maybe it's because Nina is a girl?"

"I doubt that thing is sexist." I said.

"Maybe it's because you're a slobby, rude man and Nina is a beautiful, sweet girl." Sukia said poking my face.

"Yeah, and you're an ugly, stinking witch." Swatting her hand away I rolled to my side and gave a yawn, "I need my rest."

"Which means everybody has to leave." The burse said pushing the girls out the door, "This isn't a water cooler so unless you're visiting someone you need to leave."

"Fine." Sukia said simply.

"See you tomorrow Owen." Flonne said.

"…Hey Nina?" I turned around and looked at her.

"Yes?"

"…Thanks for sticking with me…while I was unconscious…I'm glad you were looking after me." She gave a giggle and a sweet smile and I felt my face heat up like a stove top.

"I'm glad you're alright…I'll visit tomorrow as well." As she walked away I rolled back over and closed my eyes. As I tried to fall asleep my thoughts were consumed with visions of Nina making me toss and turn…ow!...Damn burns.

I gave a loud yawn as I woke up the next morning, looking next to me I saw a tray of different chocolates and desserts and took a bite out of the chocolate bar; demons really know how to do sweets, Hershey's can't even pull this taste off. After finishing off the tray I moved my arms feeling less tension than I did yesterday; good to see I'm at least healing…wish it would happen quicker, I'm wasting so much training time. I looked at the upper clock to see it was about five in the morning meaning everyone was still asleep; Laharl doesn't wake up till about ten and the others usually laze around until he wakes up, perfect chance. Moving the covers off me I stepped onto the ground feeling my joints ache and pushed through the pain as I walked out of the office; I can't waste this time recovering, I'm sure I'm healthy enough already.

Stepping out of the office I looked around at the area to see either an empty space where someone was usually standing or they were there and sleeping like a log; fine by me, I don't need to draw attention to myself.

"Enjoy your naps…gah!" I gave a small sound of shock as I turned to see the girl who runs the Dark Assembly staring blankly at me, "Um…hello?" She nodded in response as she continued to stare at me, "…Is there…something you need?" She blinked twice before pointing to a pile of boxes sitting at the entrance to the castle and then over to the weapon and item stalls, "So…you want help?" She nodded before walking over to the entrance as I followed behind. As I leaned over and grabbed two big boxes I looked to see the girl was lifting four boxes of the same size with ease; ignoring her I picked up the boxes and felt my back ache suddenly. Shuffling over I set the boxes down and took a deep breath; when I looked over the girl was staring at me again, "What? You surprised I'm so weak!?"

"…Bend with your knees not your back." She shuffled away leaving me slightly dumfounded before following behind and grabbing another set of boxes…except every time I crouched it felt like my joints were scraping my bones and I openly groaned as I set the boxes down, "…More squats."

"What does that mean!?"

"…More squats."…This chick is weird. After the rest of the boxes were moved, and more than a few pointers on what exercise to do, it was six in the morning which meant everyone was starting to get setup…which meant I missed my opportunity.

"Thanks for the waste of time. Guess I'll head back to the-hrk!" Feeling my collar pulled I looked to see she was holding it, "What now? You want me to do your job?"

"…Training."

"No thanks, I get enough of it from Etna."

"…Not torture, training." She pulled at my arm tugging me along with her insane strength, "Let's go."

"Hey- stop tugging."

"Forty four...forty five…forty six…forty seven…forty eight…forty nine…fif…ty." I collapsed to the ground as my arms pulsed uncomfortably making me pant heavily…was this girl trying to kill me?

"…Sit-ups."

"What? More? I've already done push-ups, frog leaps, squats and running drills. I've got exercise pain on top of my normal burns and scrapes." I said, "I mean…what is this for?"

"…Tolerance."

"Tolerance?" She nodded.

"…Sit-ups." Deciding to just go with it for now I continued to exercise feeling my muscles tear and ache; when I finished the set I fell flat on my back and took deep breaths trying to get a short recovery. Suddenly I felt something land on my stomach and looked to see a wooden practice blade in my lap, "…Sword practice."

"Sword practice?" Standing up and looking at the blade I moved into my stance but suddenly felt a force against my stomach sending me tumbling back.

"…Too slow."

"Ngh! Why you little…" Getting up I rushed and swung at her; she ducked and struck me with the hilt end of her blade making me stagger as she swung down sending me to the ground face first.

"…Too rushed." What the hell is up with this chick!? Standing up slowly I suddenly felt her blade connect with my jaw sending me spiraling back.

"You're enjoying this aren't you? Picking on someone you think is weaker than you? Is that how you get your kicks you stupid little girl!?"

"…You are weaker."

"No I'm not."

"…Yes you are."

"No, I'm not!"

"…Yes you are."

"NO I'M NO-" Suddenly she smacked me over and over and over again with her blade until I collapsed to the ground unable to move at all.

"…Yes you are." She dropped her blade and started walking away, "…Tomorrow…same time." As she left me there I felt my chest begin to hurt and I felt like I was hiccupping as water ran down my face-…why am I lying to myself…I cried…I felt so weak, so pathetic, so out of my mind…I cried until I couldn't cry anymore…and when I was done I slumped back to the hospital ward defeated…and completely unimportant…did I even belong here?

"This is what you get for wandering off in the morning. Your face is so bruised I can barely see your eyes." The nurse was currently bandaging my bruises as I sat in bed, "Where the hell did you go?"

"…"

"Don't want to talk? Fine…"

"Ow!"

"Sorry, conversation might help me focus more."

"Tch, manipulative little…I was helping the girl who runs the Dark Assembly move some boxes…she decided to kick my teeth in for her own sick fun."

"Hmm…doesn't sound like Pleinair."

"That's her name…what a stupid chick."

"I know Pleinair and she's not a masochist…not even a dominatrix. She's pretty docile…but she cares about others. She's probably trying to help you."

"Ngh! She's got a funny way of showing it! What the hell is wrong with her!?"

"You really are a jerk aren't you?"

"Now you're against me!?" Suddenly she smacked me across the face.

"Get over yourself! You have got to be the most selfish jackass I've ever met!"

"What do I care what you think!? Who the hell are you!? You're just a nurse!"

"…Get out."

"I'm still hurt."

"And I don't care! I'm a demon so I couldn't care less what you want! Now get the hell out of my infirmary now!" Suddenly she pushed me out of the bed and shoved me to the floor at the entrance of her infirmary, "And never come back you jackass!" With that she walked away as I stood up.

"Screw you!" I looked around to see everyone was looking at me with confusion, "What do you want!? This isn't a circus show! Get lost!" I walked away without a real idea of where I was headed…I just…needed to…who cares!?

Nina

As I opened my eyes I stood up and gave a small yawn as I looked around, to my left was Sukia who tossed and turned in her sleep moaning about…something; Owen was still at the infirmary so his bed was vacant…I think I'll visit him today. Moving the covers off I grabbed my shirt, skirt, shoes and hoodie and quickly slipped them on before anyone could see; heading over to the nearby mirror I looked over my clothes noticing some holes and tattered areas.

"Hmm…I should stop by the armory and have Susan patch them up."

"I don't know, torn clothing is kind of sexy in its own way." Sukia said suddenly standing behind me with her hands on my shoulders, "Here, let's try something." Suddenly she grabbed the end of my skirt and pulled.

'RRRRRIIIIIPPP!'

"AAAAHHH! That's too torn!"

"…Oops, might have gone a bit overboard…sorry."

"Now I have to get it fixed…or buy a new one at this rate."

"Ooohh! Clothes shopping! Come on, come on!" She tugged at my skirt again eagerly trying to pull me along.

"Stop! I'd like to at least keep some of my skirt before I buy a new one!"

"So you finally need new clothing?" Susan asked looking me up and down before chuckling, "A little bit of a rough night? Someone getting a little too handsy before the main event?" Susan said making suggestive motions with her hand

"N-No!"

"Ahh, yes." Sukia said swooning in her own memories.

"Why does everyone assume that?"

"We're demons. It isn't as uncommon as you think."

"…Wait." All those bumps in the night…, "Eeeeewwwwww!"

"What are you, a kid?"

"I'm seventeen but I still don't…I don't think about…that sort of stuff."

"Hmm?" Sukia said with a giant smile as she examined my face, "It's not good to fib Nina."

"…"

"I thought so. Hehehe!" I gave a long sigh with a small chuckle.

"Can I please get a simple skirt and t-shirt please?"

"That hoodie is looking kind of disheveled. I can go ahead and do a trade out if you want?"

"No thanks, I'm keeping this one."

"Any reason?" Sukia asked poking at one of the open holes, "It's really tattered."

"It's…personal."

"Fair enough. You want another patch job?"

"Yes please."

"Any color preferences on your shirt and skirt?"

"Hmm…white for the shirt and…brown for the skirt please."

"Right…here you go." She handed me my new set of clothes and I handed her my hoodie before moving over to the infirmary; it was the only area I could actually change without changing in public because an armory wasn't exactly the best place to try on clothes. I moved the curtain to see Anna sitting at her desk tapping her foot impatiently; it looked like something had really upset her earlier…and she was normally pretty calm.

"Hi Anna."

"Huh? Oh, hey Nina." She replied regaining her composure, "You hear to use the changing room?"

"Yep, and to visit Owen."

"Oh, he's not here." What!?

"I-Is he missing!?"

"No, I kicked him out."

"What? Why?"

"…Nina, why do you hang out with him?"

"Well…I enjoy time with him."

"You enjoy spending time with jerks?"

"Jerks? What happened?"

"He lashed out at me after he helped Pleinair move some boxes. She helped him train after that and he came back bruised and pissed off."

"Isn't he still hurt!?"

"Obviously not! He's as stubborn as a mule." That's true…he would try to get stronger after what Flonne said yesterday…he's always like that.

"That's kind of why I like him. He's stubborn and maybe a little hot-headed but…he wants to get better and I respect that."

"He's hot-headed that's for sure but he's still a weakling."

"…His reasons are…less than motivational…and that's why I want to help him."

"You think you can help him? Well…you are stronger than him…then again so is everyone else."

"No…if anything…I'm weaker than him…where did he go?"

"…Courtyard." I turned around quickly to see Pleinair standing at the entrance with her usual blank stare.

"Is he okay?"

"…Sullen."

"I'll go talk to him."

"…Good idea."

"Hey, why did you beat him up?"

"…Pain tolerance." I giggled at her brutal honesty as she gave me a small smile.

"That's just like you…thanks for trying." She nodded before I slipped into the changing room and quickly changed into my new clothes.

"Hey Nina, I've got your hoodie." That was Sukia's voice. Stepping out as I zipped up my skirt I grabbed my black hoodie from her and slipped it on feeling more complete with it on.

"Thanks Sukia."

"I also picked up something a little more risqué in case you wanted to try it." She held up something akin to what Etna wore…but somehow less.

"…Th-Thanks but…no thanks."

I moved into the courtyard and looked around seeing various warriors striking dummies with some using their fists while others used spears, axes and swords…I recognize that one on the end. I moved over and watched as Owen beat the dummy with all his strength, yelling and grunting with every strike.

"Ha! Yah! Grah! Ngh! Damn it!" As he yelled he kicked the dummy down and shoved his blade into the chest before sitting down and taking heavy breaths, "I want to get stronger but…why do I get so angry when faced with challenge…it pisses me off!"

"…I might know why." He turned around quickly and looked up at me.

"Oh…Nina…it's just you."

"How are you feeling Owen?"

"…Not too good. I yelled at the nurse and…got beat up by Pleinair."

"Her name is Anna."

"Oh…never knew."

"You were never good at asking names were you?"

"Thanks…that's just what I needed." He replied rolling his eyes and I giggled.

"Sorry."

"I feel bad about lashing out but…I still feel angry what happened."

"…Why?" I sat down behind him.

"Well-…It's just-…I'm not use to adversity. Back home things like this came so naturally but…here it's natural to everyone. Even worse is that they can do it even better than me…it feels…weird."

"Maybe it's because you're so use to doing things the easy way." He gave me a confused look before slumping into his lap, "This is the first time you aren't at the top…your just like the rest of your team now."

"My team?"

"Your football team. You have your strengths and weaknesses like everyone else did."

"…"

"…You never had to face your weaknesses did you?"

"…No, I always tried what I knew and used my strength."

"You never lost…not even once?"

"No…well…only once…that was only before I came here though."

"Really? Who did you lose to?"

"That Kendo kid."

"Oh, you mean Soren?"

"Yeah…how do you know him?"

"Well…I spied on them a few times."

"…That's right, you were outside their door the day we came here." I nodded in reply, "Why were you spying on them?"

"I…I was enamored with their upbeat attitude." I thought back to the time I was passing by the kendo club room and I heard an array of yelling, apologizing, squeamish stuttering and laughing; when I looked inside I was surprised to see four people hanging out together, "and even as they all ran around and talked like a bad comedy show…I found myself envious of how close and happy they all were."

"…I can understand that."

"That's why I can understand being jealous…feeling weaker and hating it…because I wanted that more than anything…and yet I was too weak to have it." Moving forward I moved behind him and wrapped my arms around Owen in a hug, "That's why I don't want to see you torture yourself over this…because it's not worth it to hurt yourself. I almost made that mistake…and you saved me from it…so I'm going to help you out."

"Nina…"

"Please…for my sake and for your own…let me help you…let all of us help you."

"…Okay…thank you." We sat there for a minute letting the moment wash over us and I felt my pulse race as I held him…and I liked it.

Owen

As she held me tightly I thought back to what Soren told me before I left; you'd be even stronger if you found something to use your talent for; I don't have talent…but I think I'm closer to finding what I want to fight for.


	8. Human

"Alright, let's go again!" I said feeling overly pumped for today's training; Etna had agreed to take today off on my training as long as someone else helped me out…and Nina agreed to help me out, and I was actually enjoying myself this time!

"Okay, I'm going to toss magic at you. You can block, dodge or take the hit and increase you magic resistance." Let's see, I took the hits last time and dodged the time before that…guess I'll block this time. As she sent various ice spells at me I took a defensive stance I read from and ACTUAL combat book; I blocked each ice ball sliding back slightly with each hit. I had to admit that even using low level spells Nina still had a kick to her magical ability, it was still more manageable then taking sword blows to the face at least.

"Whooo! That ice is chilly!"

"Oh? Do you want me to stop?"

"No-" Quickly shaking off the cold I moved back into position, "-keep it coming!"

"When are you guys going to be done?" Sukia asked squirming in her seat, "I'm booorrreeedd!"

"You know you could have gone, oh I don't know, somewhere else!"

"You know me Owen. Wherever Nina is I am."

"So you're a stalker?"

"If I'm a stalker then you're liable for a restraining order."

"Owen, pay attention." I turned back to Nina who was charging up a spell, "You don't want detention do you?"

"What are you a teacher?"

"W-Well I'm close to one right?"

"Eh…more like a personal trainer."

"…I'm sticking with my teacher status." I chuckled at her stubbornness and she gave me a smile in return, "Okay let's keep training."

"Give me your best shot…Miss Reist."

"Hehehe."

"Oh gag me with a spoon." Sukia said lying back on the grass and playing with her tail.

Once training was over we headed back into the castle and over to the infirmary to see Anna; she agreed to look over me after training as long as I apologized…and spent lunch with her; even she gets lonely apparently.

"Hmm…less bruises than yesterday…and even than the day before that."

"You better believe I'm getting better!" I replied and she giggled before punching me in the arm, "Ow! That's already bruised."

"Still not THAT tough though."

"Haha, very funny."

"Thanks, I try." It's only been about a week since my big freak out and follow up apology, I had to apologize to a LOT of people including Pleinair and Anna but they were nice enough to accept, and Anna even apologize for how much she freaked out in retaliation. Things were definitely better than before…and I had Nina to thank for it; she wasn't just willing to help me with training but anger management, which admittedly…was my biggest and most pushy button; but not anymore…it made me really glad to have her by my side…

"Hey Anna?"

"What's up?"

"Do you have anyone that you appreciate?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean- do you have anyone you really care about after everything you've done with them and everything they've done for you?"

"Hmmm…not particularly. Anyone in your book?"

"Nina, definitely."

"Wow, no hesitation. Why bring this up?"

"She's done so much for me already…I want to do something for her but I don't know what I can do for her. Any advice?"

"Well, girls like it when you give them something that matches what they talked about with you. It shows you were listening to them and shows you care."

"Hmm…makes sense. Oh yeah, I found this in the library, it's the sequel to that book you were reading yesterday. They had it in the sell bin so I picked it up for you." She snatched it out of my hand and smacked me on the head with it as she smiled.

"See! This is perfect! Now find something she wants and give it to her!"

"Ow! At least fix the new bump on my head."

"Sorry, I don't fix wounds I make myself."

"What a cold blooded nurse."

"Hey, I'm still a demon." We laughed happily before she started pushing me out her door, "Now go, go! Find her a gift and show you care!" With the door closing behind me I looked out at the shops in front of me; a weapons shop and an armory…hmmmm, not really a good place to shop for a gift…crap these are the only shops.

No matter where I looked I couldn't find one gift I could give Nina…damn shops; all their items are either cursed or useless!

"Well there go my ideas for a good gift…maybe I should do something instead of get her something."

"Oh. My. God."

"Hahahahahahahahahah!"

"What in the-" I moved to the throne room where all the laughing was coming from to see Etna collapsed on the floor laughing historically while Flonne was trying to hold it in…and struggling to no end, "What are you two laughing about?" Etna got up and shoved a photo in front of my face…OH. MY. GOD, "Pft…hnk…mmm…HAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Who took this!? This is pure blackmail gold!"

"What are you three laughing about?" I turned to see Laharl approaching us.

"Prince…hnk…someone left this at the door." Etna handed the picture to Laharl and his face went from bored neutral to pure unadulterated rage faster than the speed of light.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?"

"I don't know…but I want their autograph." I said still chuckling.

"SHUT UP!"

"Prince, there's something on the back." Etna said tilting her head to look at the back. Laharl flipped the picture and began reading the backside.

"Dear Prince Laharl, an embarrassing photo of you is in my possession: I await your arrival in Jotunheim. If you choose to decline my challenge, copies of the photo will be scattered throughout the netherworld!? It is my wish to contend for overlordship in a fair, agreeable manner." The photo burned instantly in Laharl's hand as he gripped it into a fist, "Damnit, this is playing dirty!"

"Isn't that the demon way?" Etna asked.

"Yeah, sound like par for the course." I added still snickering.

"So are you going to go? It's clearly a trap."

"He wants to take me on then I'll show him exactly how powerful the next overlord is!"

"So we're walking into his trap?" I asked.

"That seems like a bad idea." Flonne added.

"No trap is deadly enough to stop the great Laharl!" He said confidently.

"What's happening in here?" I turned towards the entrance to see Nina and Sukia coming in.

"We heard a lot of laughing and then yelling." Sukia said.

"You missed it. We found this picture of Laharl and he was-"

"IF YOU FINISH THAT SENTENCE THEN I'LL TURN YOU INTO PURE ASH AND DUST!" I stopped dead in my tracks deciding my life was worth more than this great a laugh…man I haven't laughed that hard in years…I should get some copies from the challenger if I get the chance.

Once we were all ready we moved through the portal to Jotunheim; I decided to grab a few thermal cloaks to keep the groups' body temperature constant, and by the looks of the area I was right to.

"Alright, I'm getting sick of going to place with extreme temperatures!" Sukia complained as she bundled herself up, "I hate this extreme cold crap!"

"Didn't you live in a frozen mountain?" I asked her as we trudged through the snow.

"Yeah but I was hopped up on demon energy. When your that powerful it give you a warm tingling sensation."

"…Really?" Nina asked.

"She's not wrong." Laharl said and we shrugged.

"Now that I'm not stealing energy anymore it's hitting me harder than it did before." Sukia finished.

"Here, you can bundle up with me." Nina offered and she rushed into Nina's cloak.

"You're awesome Nina."

"Just keep moving." Laharl said as we followed behind him.

"Hey Etna, I have a question." I said moving next to her.

"What's up?"

"Laharl seems pretty confident that any traps they have he can take it. Does he have any big weaknesses?"

"Well there are a few things that he can't stand. Coincidentally those are his weaknesses."

"Wow, talk about cruel fate."

"Yeah, the prince seems to have an allergy to things he hates. Like voluptuous women, vegetables, optimism, basically anything that makes him give you an angry look can be counted as an allergy."

"Hmmm…hey Laharl?"

"What?"

"Want to be friends?" Suddenly Laharl clutched his chest like he just had a mini heart attack and gave me an angry look.

"Don't ever say that again!" With that he turned around and continued to stomp forward.

"Hehe…that was cool."

"You're a little bit of a sadist aren't you?" Etna asked poking my cheek and chuckling.

"Only when it comes to dealing with his royal highness." I replied. Suddenly a group of demons approached us all carrying different weapons and giving us a nasty glare, "Time to get to work!"

Once we had dispatched the group of rough demons we trudged onward towards the destination Laharl was given; there were a lot of stray monster class demons wandering the snowy region and they all seemed consumed with taking each other out. The more time I spent in the Netherworld the more I saw stuff like this in different areas; this world really had the mentality of, 'be king of the hill or be dead' it was weird to see it put in to such…literal terms. As I fought the stray demons I felt a certain type of anxiousness that I never got during practice bouts with Nina or Etna…it was a much more hostile type of fighting; I fight too sloppily and I end up dead…fight or flight right?

"Blade rush!" Sweeping through a group of demons I turned to watch them disappear and sheathed my sword and shield, "Whew…the area is clear."

"Then let's keep moving." Laharl replied as his scarf absorbed his sword, "This is pathetic. I expected better traps then these weak demons." I heard shuffling and looked to see a group of small demons approaching us, they didn't look hostile though.

"Who's that?" Nina asked as she and her twin head Sukia came up to me.

"No clue." I answered.

"…"

"What do you want?" Laharl asked bitterly.

"A wonderful life."

"Gah!"

"World Peace."

"Ugh!"

"Let's all be friends."

"Aggh!"

"Girls take initiative."

"K-Knock it off!"

"What's wrong Laharl?" Flonne asked looking worried and confused.

"The prince hates optimists." Etna answered.

"Is that so…hmmm." Flonne went into deep thought before looking at the prince with a bright smile, "Eternal love." Ugh, I can feel the love in those words and it's sickeningly sweet…WAY too sweet.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! THE MOST DREADED SAYING EVER! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!?" Laharl yelled looking ready to collapse on the ground.

"But it's my favorite saying." Flonne said looking at the ground.

"Please never say that again." I asked holding my stomach, "You're way too sweet and innocent and those words just put you over the edge…I think I'm going to vomit."

"Aww…"

"You're a real smooth talker." Sukia said chuckling darkly at me.

"I can have that head removed for you Nina. Just say the word." I said brandishing my blade.

"It's hard to tell your kidding with a face like that." Nina replied with a worried look on her face.

I reeled my blade back as the last three rushed at me in a horizontal line; time to try out the next skill.

"Wind Cutter!" With a quick slash the wind sent my strike at them making the wind slice through them, "Whew…at least it worked…I'm getting stronger."

"Yes you are." Nina said patting my back, "Now let's keep going." I looked over to see Laharl had recovered and was now moving forward. I wonder how they figured out his weakness though…I only just learned about it form Etna today…I wonder…

"Alright, let's go see what this challenger has." Before we could even keep going a strange pink flash appeared around all of us revealing a few succubae and Neko women…all sporting very sexy bodies.

"What a cute little boy." One of the succubae said and Laharl stepped back in pain.

"What's wrong Laharl?" Flonne asked.

"For some reason I can't stand women with sexy bodies. Why do you think I have Sukia and Nina wear thick clothing?" …I never noticed it before but he was right, "On a related note, flat-chested girls like you have no effect on me."

"Well excuse us for being flat!" Etna and Flonne yelled at him looking extra pissed. As I stood there I felt a different kind of cold surround me and looked behind to see a vampire standing on top of a high platform.

"Hahahahaha!"

"Who is that?" Nina asked stepping back.

"Y-You're-" Laharl began.

"It has been a while prince. Do you still remember me?"

"How could I forget you? You're Maderas, the vassal who was banished from the castle for stealing my old man's favorite snack, black pretzels."

"Now that's what I call pathetic." Flonne said with a sigh.

"Kind of an overreaction for stealing a snack." Sukia said.

"Hey, you don't just go around taking the overlords' favorite snack and get away with it." I said, "You pay the price for messing with the top."

"So, black pretzel snatcher slash outcast what is it you want from me now?" Laharl asked.

"I wish to become Overlord of course."

"Well get in line and I'll smack you down like everyone else who wants to become overlord. That title is mine!"

"Foolish prince, I will be overlord and you shall die at my hands."

"Hmph, what a joke! What could a banished loser do to me?"

"Stop talking so tough prince. I know all of your weaknesses…isn't that right Etna."

"!" I knew it. I turned to Etna who had an ashamed look on her face.

"So you did feed him that information. I found it weird you knew all the weaknesses that were attacking him." I said drawing my blade.

"Etna…you!?"

"…"

"Hahahaha! You just realized this? You fool! Etna is my loyal dog; as long as I hold her memories in my hand she'll do whatever I say."

"…"

"Etna?" Flonne asked stepping forward, I put my hand out to stop her.

"Now dear prince…this place shall become your grave!"

"Etna…please say it isn't true." Nina asked.

"…"

"So you really are just a cold demon." I said feeling my hand shake, "…Figures."

"Etna, you have served your purpose, now die alongside your prince." What!?

"But we had a deal!" Etna screamed looking torn.

"What use are your memories when you are about to die? Hahaha!"

"You bastard!" I screamed leaping at Maderas, "Blade Rush!"

"Gah!" As I landed behind him I took another swing at his back making him scream again, "You little brat!" He grabbed me by my neck and I felt an intense electrical shock coarse through my body before he tossed me into the ground below.

"Owen!" Nina rushed over and helped me up as I jittered from the electricity still coursing through me.

"It all makes sense now. No wonder he knew my weaknesses." Laharl said as I stood up, "You took those photos to, didn't you?"

"…" She couldn't say anything back.

"Laharl, she only did it because a demon stole her memories." Flonne said trying to defend Etna.

"Silence!" Laharl screamed, "I accept no excuses from a traitor!"

"What the hell Etna?" I said stepping forward, "You were willing to betray us for some stupid memories!? What the hell could be so important that you'd want to throw away everything to get them back!?"

"…Because they had him in them."

"What?"

"King Krichevskoy…they had him in them. I respected him more than anyone…and even without those memories I still feel like he's very important…and I don't want to lose the memories that gave me that feeling…so that's why…"

"What a joke!" Laharl yelled, "Now stop blabbering and get the sexy women out of my sight!" Feeling something behind me I ducked as claws swiped through the air where my neck was, I swung my shield catching her stomach and pushed sending her flying back. I leapt forward and swung at her chest as she blocked with her extended nails.

"Oh, you know you looked handsomer if you dropped that serious frown." I backed up and she stabbed forward catching my shoulder, "Maybe a scare would improve your odds as well."

"No thanks!" I yelled back swiping at her and knocking her nails away as I took a full spin taking her out. I turned around as a Neko girl's knee struck my face sending me flying into the snow; before I could get up she had pinned me to the ground and looked at me ready to bite as she opened her mouth showing off her fangs. Suddenly she was pushed off me sending both her and the pushed into the snow, I got up and looked over to see Sukia had pushed her off and her nails were going through the Neko girls' stomach.

"You owe me one. It's freezing out here." She said bundling up as the Neko girl disappeared.

"Put it on my tab." I replied getting up and lunging at the succubus behind her, "But as far as I can see the score is settled right there." We both gave a nod and moved over to Nina who was surrounded by a group of Succubae; damn it she has no combat skills, all she can do is magic.

"Crap they knew about Nina!"

"Come on!" We rushed over and bashed through one of the enemies getting in the middle with Nina, "You okay?"

"Yeah but I can't charge my magic while they're surrounding me! I need time to charge."

"They really knew what they were dealing with weren't they?" Sukia commented and I looked over at Etna who was stuck in place.

"…Damn it!" Leaping over one of the succubae I rushed over to Etna and grabbed her by the arm, "This isn't the time to be moping around! You've made a mistake and I'll ream you for it later, but right now you better fight! You got me!?" As I yelled at her she gave me a wide-eyed stare before giving a confident nod, "Good! Now help us take these things out!" As we got back up I looked to see a group of demons was circling us.

"Prinnies! Get you butts out here!" With her signature shout a swarm of prinnies started to throw themselves at the enemies exploding on contact, "Hah!" Etna lunged forward stabbing through three of them as I turned around and gave a whirlwind slash to three before blade rushing another three.

"Whew…I think I'm starting to run on empty here."

"And here I thought you were tougher?"

"Heh, don't underestimate me, I said 'starting' to run on empty, don't count me out yet!" With a shield bash I slashed through another enemy before Etna jumped over me and impaled the one behind the one I took out.

"Alright, is that all of them?"

"Done." Sukia said waving to us from a circle of unconscious succubae.

"Then let's get moving." Laharl said bitterly, "I'm not letting Maderas get away!"

We rushed ahead until we came to a frozen lake area with Madera standing in the center.

"You don't know when to give up do you prince? But your luck ends here." With a snap of his fingers a group of succubae had surrounded the prince.

"Hi there little boy." Laharl reeled back in pain.

"Ugahh!"

"That's not all…how about this!" Maderas said motioning to another succubus.

"A ray of hope."

"Ugh!"

"A pure heart."

"Stop it!"

"Damn, there exploiting his weakness." Sukia said as I drew my weapons.

"Then let's take them out!" I said rushing forward. Before I could even approach him I was knocked onto the ice bed and went sliding all the way to the other side; damn, that was a powerful blow, "What the hell was that?"

"Again? Why do I fight weaklings?" I stood up in shock to see the mercenary from Hogmeiser's estate looking at me with a bored expression, "At least tell me you put up more of a fight then last time because-" He reached into his bag and pulled out a round object before tossing it into the air; when it broke a yellow bubble field came over me and the mercenary, "-I'm not going to fight you again if you don't."

I took a step back and my heel hit the bubble field stopping instantly; looks like it's not just for show. I turned back and rushed at the mercenary as he pulled out two short swords and looked ready to block…and most likely counter. I swung at him and he blocked pushing my blade back; before he could give a counter swing I moved my shield up to my chest and blocked the thrust as it sent me back. As I got my footing back I leapt forward and rushed through the mercenary before turning and taking another swipe at his back before kicking him to the ground. Before he fell to the ground he extended his hands and flipped forward kicking me in the face making me stagger backwards; as his feet hit the ground he dashed at me and started slicing along my chest in my dazed moment before thrusting and sending me flying.

"Ngh!"

"Is that it? I thought this would be a better fight. I thought in the time between our matches you might get better. But if this is it then maybe I was wrong." Before I could stand up he had his blade against my throat, "Are you even demon? You fight like a human." Fight like a human…that's right, I fight like a human! I fell onto my back and dropped my sword and shield before getting up and rushing at the mercenaries' stomach and knocking him to the ground; he dropped his blade in the scramble and I picked it up before shoving it into the ice causing it to crack. Before he could get back up I punched him in the face and took another stab at the ice as it began to crack rapidly. Jumping off of him I grabbed my sword and shield and jumped onto the snow covered side as the ice crack and the mercenary was swallowed into the lake.

"Whew…looks like I win." Suddenly the water shot up in a geyser and I looked to see the mercenary hovering in the air as he now had dragon wings.

"Hmm…this isn't the end. For now you live but next time you will not survive…till we meet again…become stronger…for that strength will be mine before long." With those final words he flew off into the sky as the field dissipated.

"I…won." With a sigh of relief I looked behind me to see they had dispatched with most of the enemies leaving Maderas with Laharls' blade against his throat.

"What a pathetic demon." Laharl said.

"Etna! Destroy the prince!" Maderas commanded and Etna stepped forward spear in hand; before I could rush to stop her Laharl had already pointed his blade at her, "If you don't then I'll destroy your memories." Etna stepped past the prince pointing the spear end at Maderas.

"Then do it."

"W-What!?"

"Go ahead and do it. I followed your orders and poisoned the prince two years ago so that you would give me back my memories."

"Man she poisoned Laharl?" Sukia said shocked.

"I'm surprised he survived the poison." I said putting my weapons away.

"But I hated myself for working under Maderas. So I devised a little plan to escape from under his thumb."

"Then why did you follow his orders?" Nina asked.

"I was waiting for just the right moment to get revenge on the bastard who ruined my life! From now on I'll lead my life any way I choose and no one is going to stop me!"

"Fine, I still have one more ace up my sleeve. Prinnies make mincemeat out of her!" I looked over at the prinnies but they stayed exactly where they were.

"I've been planning this for a while Maderas, which means I bought out those prinnies you sent to watch me a long time ago."

"These things have no pride." I said kicking one down.

"Don't be mean to them." Nina asked.

"You're just a stupid fool who fell for my trap, and the prince was the bait."

"Hm…using me as bait. You're one ruthless girl." Laharl complimented…I think…was he wearing earplugs?

"Oh Prince, don't flatter me so much. It's not like Flonne, Mid-boss or those three were part of the plan."

"What the- where did Mid-Boss come from!?" I asked in shock finally noticing he was there.

"Hmm…women are scary." Mid-Boss said.

"You can say that again."

"Please, spare my life! I beg you!" Maderas said now groveling at Etna's feet.

"Hmm…what should I do?" Etna said with a sadistic smile on her face.

"Forgive me, o master Etna! Your strength, beauty and intelligence are unsurpassed in all the Netherworld!" Wow, at this rate his licking boot and kissing ass at the same time.

"Well killing a loser like you would dirty my hands so…I'll forgive you. You know what I want right?"

"Y-Yes! I will return master Laharl's candid photos immediately, as well as you memory! I'll return everything!" Oh right!

"Hey, do you think I could get a few copies of those pics before-"

"Don't even think about it!" Laharl screeched at me.

"Now get out of here! I never want to see your face again got it?" Etna said to Maderas.

"Y-Yes Master Etna!" With that he scrambled off into the distance leaving us all with a moment of relief.

"Phew, that settles that. Doesn't it, prince?"

"No it doesn't!" Laharl yelled at her, "You tried to poison me in my sleep, you used me as bait for your revenge; what kind of vassal are you!?"

"A damn good one by demon standards." I said.

"Shut it!"

"B-But Laharl-" Flonne began ready to defend Etna again.

"But!" Laharl started again cutting Flonne off, "But, I don't mind that side of you. A true demon is always full of ambition and aims for the top. As king, I'll need a right-hand demon like you under my command." Was…Was he being nice, "Listen up! I'm going to work you into the ground! You'd better be prepared for it!" There we go.

"Uh-uh, YOU better be prepared. I'll be watching your every move and if you don't prove worthy for the throne then…an accident may happen."

"Hmph, you can take my place if that happens."

"Oh don't worry, I will." With simultaneous laughter the tense air dissipated and we all gave a long sigh.

"So…is this a happy ending?" Flonne asked and we all shrugged, "Well I guess demons have their own way of expressing love."

"Yeah…yeah let's say that." I replied as we started walking back. As we walked I approached Etna, "Hey…all that stuff you said earlier…was that part of your plan as well or was that the truth?"

"Hmmm…who can say, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't…I think I'll keep that my little secret."

"Of course. Hey…don't betray us again…please?"

"Hmm…we'll see, the odds are in your favor."

"I'm serious, don't betray us." She gave me a serious look before nodding, "Good." Now…to other business. Backing up I approached the twin headed monstrosity that was Nina and Sukia, "Hey Nina?"

"Hmm?" She replied.

"I noticed you don't have any combat ability so…if you'd like I can help you learn a few moves."

"Ha! Like you know how to teach!" Sukia mocked and I pulled the cloak over her face.

"S-So what do you say? Even if I don't know everything I can give you a quick intro lesson." She nodded her head and smiled at me.

"I'd like that Owen." Good…hopefully I can actually help…ah crap I'm screwed aren't I?


	9. Challenge

With a yawn I walked into the throne room at…it's four in the morning!? Jeez, Laharl better have a good reason for waking us up this early; I only pray it's not another 'that dragon is too loud' complaint or I will not hesitate to throw him through the window at the dragon!

"Hi Laharl." Nina said as Sukia, she and I walked up the steps. When I made it to the top I looked to see Laharl, Etna and Flonne all together looking something over.

"Good, you're finally here." He said shoving a piece of paper in our faces.

"It's too early to read." Sukia said hovering lazily as she bumped into me and Nina. Nina took the paper and scanned over it reading aloud.

"Dear sirs and madams, I hope these dark days find you well. However, I, Laharl, am deeply concerned with the state of the Netherworld. I am well aware that unnecessary bloodshed is not your desire. Therefore, I am writing to propose a formal challenge, an event with my father's title at stake- the title of Overlord."

"Really? You're being formal?" I asked.

"I'm sick of having to hunt down these wannabies. They can come to me and we can end this stupid feud forever so I can move on." Laharl answered.

"Sounds lazy…I like it." Nina cleared her throat to continue.

"The rules are simple. On Curseday, in the month of the Adder, I shall journey to the Heart of Evil, carrying with me the official Deed. The one who wrests the deed from my hand shall be recognized as the new Overlord. In the event that I reach my destination still in possession of the Deed, I shall assume the position myself. To those with great ambition, I encourage you to participate. Sincerely, Prince Laharl."

"What do you think? Great penmanship right?" Laharl asked obviously fishing for compliments.

"Great cursive." Sukia said looking over Nina's shoulder. I took a peek and felt my eyes stretch as I tried to read it.

"…Ow…"

"Can't read cursive?" Etna asked as I tried to straighten my eyesight.

"Hey, I never focused on it. It's just English written in a more complicated way." I answered furrowing my brow.

"That's okay, you're doing great anyway." Flonne complimented as Laharl collapsed to his knees clutching his chest.

"Damn it Love Freak, stop that!"

"Oh, sorry Laharl."

"Do it again." I said as I laughed.

"Shut up!" Laharl yelled standing up, "Anyway, I called you all here because we'll be going up against every dreck in the Netherworld to end this once and for all."

"So you need to make sure we're ready?" Nina asked.

"No!"

"Then why did you wake us up at four in the morning?! I was sleeping peacefully!" I asked.

"Because I need you two to make another vassal."…what?

"What?"

"I think it's that thing he did to bring us here." Nina elaborated.

"You want us to rip people from their realities?" I asked skeptical of trying this out.

"Actually, that was a mistake on the prince's end." Etna said, "He tried summoning without using any mana and it popped you two out of your world into ours."

"So you're the reason I have to share a room with that thing." I pointed to Sukia and felt my hand get slapped by her tail.

"Oh don't get caught up in the details. Now I'm sure you two can get some great vassals. You haven't been doing anything with your mana right?"

"I didn't even know we had mana."

"Then it must be overflowing!" Flonne said sounding excited, "Come on, let's go try this out!"

"Hey- stop pushing."

I stood there in front of Pleinair as she stared at me blankly; I had apologized to her earlier in the week but she must still be pissed at the way I acted…then again, she's kind of a blank slate all the time making it hard to determine.

"…It's good to see you Owen." There we go.

"Hey Pleinair. We were looking to try our hands at summoning a vassal." She nodded before grabbing a book from the cage behind her and opening it up to a page with a mystical circle on it; it was woven with different lines that seem to cross into each other in an intricate design.

"It's not easy to summon someone is it?" Nina asked and Pleinair nodded holding up the book page.

"…The circle makes it easier."

"I'm sure it does." I added and Flonne burst past us as Pleinair started drawing the circle with chalk; she watched in fascination as Pleinair seem to naturally draw it without any hesitation until the chalk disappeared leaving just the circle in the ground. I watched as Nina skimmed through the book before showing me a page; it was listed with different demons we could summon with our mana…there are some high level demons in this book. As the circle lit up Pleinair pulled me over and stuck me in the middle of the circle; she shoved the book into my hand and suddenly some of the demons on the page lit up while others stayed as they were, "Are these the demons I can summon?" She nodded and I looked over the page for something interesting…I wonder…, "Hey Nina, come stand here with me."

"Huh? Okay." She stepped into the circle and stood right next to me. I looked back at the book to see more of the demons had lit up; just what I thought would happen.

"Hey Nina, you want to pool our mana and get a high level demon?"

"Didn't they want two demons?"

"They only said to summon, they didn't say how many."

"I don't think that logic works."

"Come on." I said nudging her playfully; she giggled before pushing me back.

"Okay…let's try that dragon."

"Dragon eh? …Alright, I'd like to ride a dragon into battle!" Closing the book I grabbed Nina's hand and we both look at each other with a nod before rising out other hands into the air, "Together on three. One, two, three!"

"Summon from the depths of the untouched realm, a demon worthy to stand at our side. Come, Great Winged Dragon of Power!" Once we finished Pleinair beckoned us over and we rushed out of the circle as it started to glow brightly. I looked to my sides to see Flonne had an excited smile as she hopped up and down and to my other side Sukia looked with interest but not enough to match Flonne; let's see her insult me when I have a dragon!

"!" Pleinair gave a small gasp and I watched in shock as it sparked wildly almost hitting us as the rage grew larger and larger, "…Everyone get back."

"You could say that with more urgency you know!" I shouted as we all stepped back in caution. The lightning became fiercer and I watched as the chalk started to evaporate from the force of the magic pouring out of the portal.

"This isn't normal." Sukia said suddenly sounding serious, "Be careful everyone. At this point anything can burst through that portal and attack us!" Grabbing my sword and shield I stood ready as the magic became unstable…I know this!

"Get down!" I turned around and dove at Nina knocking both of us over as the air erupted in fire consuming the area just where we were standing. When it was over I pushed myself up with my hands and looked at Nina, "Are you okay?" She had a deep blush on her face as we remained in that position…oh! Realizing how we were positioned I pushed myself off her and scooted away, "S-Sorry."

"I-It's okay…I'm fine." She replied as she twirled her hair in her finger. Standing up I looked to see Pleinair was covered in soot and Flonne had ducked to the ground in time while Sukia's hair was singed down to the back of her neck giving her a short hairstyle…and a pissed scowl directed at me.

"I…I like your new look Sukia…hnk!" I said trying not to laugh.

"You're lucky succubae can alter their looks or I'd kill you." She replied as her hair grew back to its normal long length, "Now what the hell did you two summon."

"Pure fire?"

"No, look." Nina said pointing to where the smoke had gathered; as it cleared two figures, looking about half my height, appeared; one was a boy with a blank look on his face and deep black hair and the other was a girl with the same look but pure white hair, they both had discolored eyes of red and blue with the boys left eye being red while the girls left eye was blue.

"What the-"

"Who is that?" The boy asked.

"I'm unsure." The girl replied.

"Is he the one who summoned us?"

"He must be."

"Um…who are you two?" I asked.

"Gemini Twins." The boy replied.

"Two people who together can become anyone else they choose." The girl finished.

"What do you mean?" I asked. They stood up and grabbed each other's hand; they suddenly combined together until what stood there was an exact copy of me, sword, shield and all, "Woah." They separated turning back into a boy and a girl…who I just now realized were only wearing the bear minimum of clothing to cover themselves up.

"So we summoned them?" Nina asked and I nodded, "…They look cute." Suddenly the twins huddled together as their faces turned red.

"She complimented us." The boy said.

"Yes and I'm sure it was in earnest." The girl replied.

"It's nice to meet you two." Nina said stepping forward with a smile, "My name is Nina and these are my friends Owen, Sukia, Pleinair and Flonne. What are your names?"

"What are our names?" The boy asked.

"We don't have names." The girl replied.

"Then…because you're the Gemini Twins I'll call you Gemi-" She motioned to the boy, "And you Nini." She finished motioning to the girl, "How about that."

"…I like it Nini." The boy said.

"So do I Gemi." The girl replied. Oh this is going to get weirder isn't it…at least Nina broke the ice.

Once the twins were geared up and in proper clothing we brought them to Laharl; he looked them over with skepticism while Etna poked and prodded at them.

"So what are they?" Etna asked.

"Something called a Gemini." Sukia replied.

"Gemini Twins." They said in unison.

"Prince I've heard of these types of demons." Etna said, "They're very scarce and not easy to find but their ability to turn into different people makes them a very useful demon pair."

"How did you two summon Gemini Twins?" Laharl asked and I shrugged.

"We pooled our mana together to summon a dragon but instead we got them."

"It turned the chalk circle into dust." Flonne added.

"Maybe it's because we used our mana together that they were made." Nina said, "One person can't summon two demons at once."

"And vice versa." Etna added, "I don't know what you think you were trying to do but you can't use two peoples' mana to summon one demon, it just doesn't work."

"That would have been nice to know!" I shouted at her, "We were almost blasted by fire!"

"Hey, that's not my fault, you were the idiot who tried to do the impossible."

"Umm, not to push it in but-" Nina put the book in front of me and motioned to a line near the top of the page, "-it says right here that mana from two different people is non-mixable. Apparently a persons' mana is attuned to their soul making them very difficult to mix."

"Then how did we pull it off?" I asked looking over the book.

"I don't care!" Laharl shouted at us grabbing the book and tossing it away, "We have more important things to do."

"What will we be doing Gemi?" Nin asked.

"I'm not sure Nini." Gemi replied.

"You could just ask us?" I said and they just stared at me blankly, "…alright then."

"Now let's head to the Heart of Evil. I want to be done before lunch." Nina looked over at the twins.

"We're going to take on a bunch of demons gunning for the throne. It's going to be a long fight."

"Have you two ever fought before?" Sukia asked and they looked at each other.

"We have some experience in weaponry." Gemi said.

"But we've never actually been in a real fight." Nini finished.

"Hey, as long as you have the reflexes and will then you'll pick up real combat after your first battle." I said patting Gemi's head; it was like looking at a little brother and sister with these two…a very annoying twinset at that, "If you want I can give you a quick run through."

"…Should we take his offer Nini?"

"I don't think we should Gemi."

"At least address me when you insult me."

I stood at the portal entrance and was amazed to find a massive line of demons from one mountain end to the next and, I strongly assume, going farther than that; I looked over at the others to see Laahrl, Etna and Flonne all had shocked expressions while Nina was shaking and Sukia was hovering in the air looking over the horde while Gemi and Nini looked out into the crowd blankly.

"Man, a lot of people want to be overlord." Sukia said landing back onto the ground, "I mean, I didn't even think there were this many demons in the Netherworld."

"You never got out much did you?" Nina asked and Sukia shook her head.

"All my meals came to me until recently."

"Well you might be able to feed if these guys are weak willed idiots." Etna said scanning the crowd.

"Eh, guy or girl. I'm not picky."

"Gross." I said.

"Sexual deviant." Gemi said.

"Indeed." Nini added.

"Everyone likes a fun time." Sukia said confidently, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling a bit hungry." With that she leaped into the crowd and suddenly her shirt came fluttering through the air.

"…How about we leave this to Sukia. Anyone object?" I asked.

"No." They all said in unison and we quickly moved through the crowd towards the end of the hoard...what's that moaning…oh god.

After disposing of the few demons who decided to tail us we headed for the denser parts of the jungle to lose some of the groups who had decided to work together to get rid of us; luckily they followed the rest of the demons and decided to occupy the main road into the Heart of Evil.

"Demons don't do their research do they?" Nina asked and Etna laughed.

"Oh Nina, you think amateur demons would actually do any research?"

"I would hope so. This area leads right to the Heart of Evil and there's no one here."

"Morons." Gemi said.

"All of them." Nini finished.

"Hey Laharl?" Flonne said catching up to Laharl, "I was wondering where that deed is."

"There is no deed." Laharl answered, "This whole thing is a trap designed to get rid of the contenders for the throne."

"You know Sukia is probably going to kill those guys back there." I said thinking about her daily intake of food.

"That's the idea. If they're going to try for the throne then they better be willing to risk their lives for it."

"Wait, so we're actually killing people!?" Nina asked sounding concerned.

"Laharl! We can't kill them!" Flonne said angrily, "A life is precious!"

"I have to agree with them on this Laharl." I said stepping up, "We can't just kill them."

"They decided to try to take my life! As far as I'm concerned I will kill if I have to."

"Then I'll just make sure you won't have to!" Flonne said with determination in her voice, "I'm going to be your conscious Laharl! Get ready to feel the love!"

"Gah! What did I say about that?!"

"Sorry."

As we walked farther into the forest I thought back on what Laharl said; I may not be the nicest guy but I don't want to kill others for no reason…maybe self-defense is okay but I don't want to take a life without a reason.

"Hey Owen?" Nina said snapping my thoughts back to reality.

"What's up Nina?"

"You care about life right?" …Weird question.

"Yeah…maybe it hasn't done much for me but hopefully I can change that."

"…Same…life hasn't done much for me either."

"W-Wait, what do you mean?"

"Hark!" A voice cried out and we stopped in our tracks as someone came flying out of a nearby tree, "Stope in thine tracks knaves!" It was a woman holding a thin blade and wearing light but comfortable armor and her hair was a dark red.

"What in the- is that English?"

"It's old English." Nina explained, "Shakespearian if I'm remembering poetry correctly."

"What a waste of a class."

"Silence!" She yelled at us, "Thou hath fallen into mine trap. Now I shalt slay the holder of the deed and wrench the deed from thine fallen hands."

"…What?" Laharl said looking confused.

"She wants the deed." Gemi said.

"She's going to kill you for it." Nini added.

"Then why didn't she just say that!?" Laharl yelled.

"I think she did." Flonne added.

"She seems more serious than the last bunch I'll give her that." Etna said ignoring the squabble.

"I think she's a spell swordswoman." Nina said, "She can use a sword proficiently and different spells with ease."

"My name is Saradia the Demonslayer!" She screamed raising her blade to the sky, "My sword hath slayeth over two-thousand demons!"

"That's pretty impressive actually." I said impressed by the shine the blade still had; I thought it would have rusted away by now.

"…or, was under two-thousand?"

"Ugh…never mind." How disappointing; she's a complete idiot.

"So which is it!?" Laahrl demanded.

"When I swingeth my sword, the earth shall be torn asunder!"

"Wow! Incredible!" Flonne said bouncing up and down with glee, "The earth actually splits in two!?"

"…Perhaps."

"Make up your mind damn it!" Laharl yelled at her.

"There's no perhaps! It either does or doesn't!" I yelled pissed at her indecisiveness.

"What dost thou thinketh?"

"I think adding 'eth' to the end of your words doesn't make it fancy." Gemi and Nini nodded in agreement.

"I'm getting sick of this!" Laharl screamed drawing his blade, "I'm going to make you moan in pain!"…

"I think you mean scream in pain prince." Etna said.

"I hope that's what he means." I added drawing my sword and shield; I looked back at Nina and the twins to see Nina draw a rapier while Gemi pulled out a cleaver and Nini pulled out a spear…this was a totally one sided fight.

As I crashed into the ground face first my thought drifted back to my one sided fight comment and realizing I had no clue which side was at the disadvantage until now…unfortunately it was us and not her. I raised my head and looked over to see Nina, Etna, Flonne and Laharl as covered in the glue trap she threw at them; she was smarter then she let on to be.

"My blade cannot be bested…eth." She said walking towards me.

"What did I say about the eth!?" I yelled at her as she held a flame in her off hand. Damn, that combination is too dangerous for any of us to match…I'd be pissed at my own weakness if it wasn't for the fact that I was staring down deaths door.

"We aren't down yet." We both turned to see Gemi and Nini standing ready to fight.

"Come at us." Nini said as they both beckoned her over. She rushed at them and I watched in amazement as the dodged the blow in a spinning dance until they had changed into the demon hunter herself.

"How very sneaky of thee. Now let us dance the dance of blades…eth." Ugh. The Gemini twins seemed to be in perfect sync with Saradia as they fought her; it was like the moment they changed into her they had all the knowledge of combat that she had. With a swift kick they kicked Saradia to the ground and launched their open palm at her creating an icicle that pierced Saradia, "…Very well…played doppelganger…mayeth we cross blades…againeth." Standing up I moved over to her as she started to fade.

"And hopefully you'll learn proper English by then…stop adding eth." She disappeared with a poof and the twins separated turning back into their normal forms.

"We won Gemi."

"Indeed Nini. How thrilling."

"It wouldn't hurt you two to smile would it?" I asked and they just stared at me before giving small smiles, "That's better."

"Screw that chick." Etna said pulling the glue off of her arms, "I'm going to smell like glue all day now." I gave a small sniff.

"Yeah…that's strong."

"Ew…it's stuck in my hair." Nina said pulling at the globs in her hair. Etna quickly pulled at the glob and hacked it off with her spear, "…Thanks?" Nina pulled at where she cut and suddenly the strands splintered out in all directions, "I'm going to need a haircut after this."

"Let's just get moving before another psychopath shows up to cover us in honey and feed us to bears."

"I'm burning the next person who attempts something like this." Laharl said as his pure rage melted the glue on him off; Flonne was standing next to Laharl as it did the same for her glue covered body.

"Hehe, that's better."

"Lucky." Nina said playing with her messed up hair.

After a few more demons tried their luck we came upon a clearing; the area looked fit for a baseball game, there was a dirt diamond with pads set up at the turns; seems someone didn't want to fight in the conventional way. Hearing a ruffle in the bushes I reached for my blade as small figures waddled out of the bushes…it was the prinnies…and here I thought there would be an actual challenge involved.

"What are the prinnies doing here?" Flonne asked.

"I was wondering where they had gotten off to." Etna said checking her nails.

"You're a terrible boss you know that?" I said and she shrugged.

"What are you idiots doing here?" Laharl asked.

"We thought we might give it a shot dood." The main prinny said.

"They're going after the title?" Gemi asked.

"It would seem so." Nini answered.

"Like hell they are!" Etna yelled suddenly pissed, "I'm not letting you wastes of skin pull of a coup d'état without me! I'm going to kill the prince you useless sardines!"

"Great vassal you've got there." I said and Laharl just glared at me.

"Maybe you shouldn't say that with the person in question so close to you." Flonne said to Etna as Laharl just sighed.

"We know a head on attack is suicide, dood." The prinny said, "So we came up with a more fair challenge." Suddenly they all soared back going into position around the diamond before all posing dramatically.

"We challenge you to a game of baseball, dood!"…

"Etna."

"Yes Prince?"

"Kill 'em."

"Certainly." With a sigh I drew my sword and shield as Etna dashed in hacking the prinnies to pieces; these guys really are idiots if they thought this would work…I pray the other contenders at least have more brains then this…why do I feel cold all of a sudden?


	10. Challenge Completed

"Prinnies are weak." Gemi said as we kept walking through the forest.

"Yes, they are as insignificant as flies." Nini replied.

"You know if you throw it then they explode." I said and Nini's eyes got slightly wider.

"…I'll have to try that later."

"Go ahead, they're disposable." Etna replied with a sadistic laugh.

"That's cruel Etna!" Flonne yelled at her. Unsurprisingly the prinnies didn't turn out to be much of a challenge…it was like beating up a sea of soggy marshmallows, I wonder if Etna sells them out as punching bags.

"Something wrong Owen? …you have a creepy grin." Nina said tapping me on the shoulder.

"Sorry, a bit lost in thought is all." I replied.

"You must be getting stupider then." I looked up in shock as Sukia came floating down in a completely new set of clothes. She was wearing a white shirt with a sleeveless dark red vest and a black miniskirt that matched her leather boots.

"You're back already?"

"You're okay!" Nina said giving Sukia a hug, "I was worried you were in danger."

"You're sweet Nina…I wasn't in danger at all." She replied patting her head as her cheeks turned pink.

"Yeah but I'm sure you're having trouble walking now." I said snickering as she gave me a nasty glare.

"The sexual deviant is back." Gemi said.

"Stay away from her." Nini said pulling Gemi back.

"You scare children." I said with a smile.

"Shut up!" She yelled at me still holding Nina tightly.

"…Um…can you let me go?" Nina asked and Sukia released her grip.

"Ah! Sorry Nina."

"It's okay…your chest is suffocating though." Nina said taking a deep breath as Sukia chuckled and her tail swayed playfully.

"Hmhmhmhm…I'll take that as a compliment."

"Deviant."

"Agreed Gemi."

"Shut it, all of you!" Laharl yelled at us, "I can't handle the rambling behind me. Let's just walk in silence."

"Fine." I said while everyone else gave a sigh. The very second I took a step forward and was greeted by a giant footstep slam into the ground jostling everybody and knocking them over, "What the hell is that!?"

"Mwahahahahaha!" I craned my neck to look up but all I could see was his shin…it was too large to look past, "Kid! Are you Krichevskoy's son?"

"Yeah and who are you?" Laharl asked.

"I am the overlord of an alternate Netherworld!"

"An alternate Netherwolrd?"

"There's more than one?" Nina asked.

"Yes, they exist in different dimensions." Gemi said.

"Hence, alternate Netherworld." Nini finished.

"I tried taking over this world before but King Krichevskoy got in my way." The colossal demon said.

"…I'm starting to have a lot more respect for the old king." I said offhandedly; if he can stop something this big than he deserve some respect if not all of it.

"But now that he's dead, I'll claim it for my own!" So he wants a fight, "You are just one of the overlords I will crush on my way to becoming 'Supreme Overlord'!"

"Let's just get this over with." Laharl said with a yawn, "I've got stuff to do."

"Puny boy! What you see before you represents only a fraction of my power." That's only a fraction!? It's skyscraper size!

"Well, that's hard to tell since I'm only seeing part of you."…He had a point.

"Yep." Etna agreed, "You're just too big."

"How can we even fight if we can't see you?" Sukia asked.

"Fine! If it's size you're concerned about then I can make an arrangement. But even so, a horrible death still awaits you! Feel my wrath! Doppelganger." Suddenly he disappeared leaving us alone for a few awkward seconds.

"…Nice guy." Flonne said as we waited and I shrugged.

"Eh, kind of a jackass for wanting every Netherworld for himself." I replied.

"He's just another weakling out for the throne." Laharl said bluntly, "Gum on my shoe is more of a challenge than he is."

"Well then we should have no trouble with this. Let's set up land mines while we wait prince." Etna said with an evil smirk on her face.

"We've got a few." Gemi said holding up a land mine in his hand.

"Where did you get that!?" Nina asked grabbing the mine form him, "That's dangerous!"

"…You were worried?" Nini asked as Nina set it down.

"Be careful with these."

'CLICK!' …oh god.

"Nina, back away slowly form the land mine." I said as she had frozen in place. Before any of us could react a bright flash filled the air and I looked back over to see a bunch of identical smaller demons standing across from us.

"Behold the incredible doppelganger spell! Now I shall-"

"Fore!" Etna shouted and suddenly the land mine went flying through the air before hitting the one in the middle and exploding in a ball of fire that consumed all of them. When the smoke cleared they were all gone with the only thing remaining being a crater sized hole where they were standing.

"That was easy." Sukia said in surprise as Etna laughed manically.

"Man that was effective!"

"Are you kidding!? We could have all been blown to bits!" I yelled at her, "That was like a pound of dynamite stuck in a box of gun powder!"

"You guys don't have any more do you?" Nina asked looking slightly scared; they nodded in return before Nin pulled a stack of them out of nowhere, "Gah!"

"Maybe hold back on the explosives…please?" Flonne asked her voice slightly cracking.

"Not so fast!" I looked back at the crater to see one of the Overlord demons struggling to leave the pit, "You cheaters! Using explosives you bastards!"

"We're demons. Also, you left a lot of time for us to set that up." Etna said.

"That was an on the fly decision though." I said.

"Enough! One of me is still enough to-" Before he could finish something big crashed down on him.

"He just has no luck today." Sukia said.

"This feels anti-climactic." Flonne said sounding disappointed, "Aren't the heroes supposed to win?"

"Considering what just happened, I have my doubts that we did anything at all." Nina said with a sigh. When the smoke cleared a group of six demons were standing in front of us; a ghost, zombie, dragon, chimera, golem, and gargoyle…wait…

"Aren't those the guys that are hanging around the castle?" I asked and Laharl gave a surprised look.

"What are you guys doing here?" Laharl asked.

"We came to help in your time of need!" The zombie said dramatically.

"Well you kinda crushed the last guy there." I said pointing at his feet.

"Oh…well then we're here to take the deed for overlord!" What!?

"Wow that was a quick change. You guys are a little two faced aren't you?" Etna asked playfully.

"Traitors! You are my vassals! You have to listen to me!" Laharl yelled at them looking positively fuming.

"We are vassals to the late King Krichevskoy!"

"You bastards! You became my vassals after he died!"

"What an unexpected betrayal! How will we get out of this?!" Flonne said getting fired up.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked.

"She's crazy." Gemi and Nini said together.

"This is the dramatic moment when a hero has to decide whether to defeat those who betrayed him or spare their lives and gain them as valuable allies."

"…I think you play to many video games Flonne." I said with a sigh.

"…Etna." Laharl said.

"Yes prince?" Etna asked.

"Hand me a mine." Etna grabbed from the stack and tossed one to Laharl who grabbed it.

'CLICK!'

"Gah!" All of the vassals took a back step in fear before Laharl chucked it at them creating another crater sized explosion; when the smoke cleared they were still standing there but look damaged from the blast, "It'll take more than that to take us down!" I gave a loud cough catching their attention and pointed to the stack the twins were currently pulling out, "…Maybe we can talk about this."

"You may be tough but even that amount can do you in." Etna said.

"Geez, you guys are pretty useless no matter where you are." Laharl said sounding disappointed.

"Um…well…we'll see you back at the castle prince. Later!" With that they dashed off leaving us alone.

"Useless idiots."

"Still, to survive a mine blast they must be pretty tough." Nina said.

"The wise eagle hides it talons." Flonne said quoting some profound saying.

"I wish they'd use their talons for me sometimes." Laharl grumbled as he walked forward. I turned around to see Gemi and Nin standing next to three groups of five mines.

"...Maybe put those away for now." They nodded before Laharl swooped in and consumed them in his scarf.

"These are good for motivation. I'll hang onto them." …I don't want to touch that.

We continued down the path quietly and I felt my mind wander to what else could show up; Demons were popping up left and right as we walked…

"Hey Etna?" I asked and she looked back at me.

"What's up?"

"Just how many freaks are there in the Netherworld?"

"Well, you'll find a lot of different demons all boasting some weird agenda or another. Fact is there are groups of freaks out there and they're the worst of the bunch."

"Got an example?" Before she could answer a blast came from one of the high cliffs and a person wearing a full body red suit and helmet was standing there looking dramatic.

"We've been waiting for you demons!" Suddenly a blue mist came from his left and another person dressed in blue was standing there.

"When the darkness of evil draws near, we appear out of nowhere!" From the left side a flash of light crashed and a man in yellow appeared…holding a script?

"The-three-lights-of-justice-save-the-world-with-courage-and-hope…oh…!" The red man jumped down in front of us.

"Together-" The blue man followed.

"We are-" And then the yellow man.

"The-Prism-Rangers…!" They finished with a flashy pose and we stood there dumfounded.

"…There's your example." Etna said and I gave a long sigh.

"Please, someone normal come out." Laharl said looking absolutely sick of running into freaks…I know how he felt.

"I'll even take the hoard of demons from earlier." I said agreeing with him.

"They're perfectly in sync!" Flonne said with pure amazement in her eyes.

"That one is holding a script." Gemi said pointing to the yellow ranger.

"They must have been rehearsing." Nini added.

"Not well enough apparently." Sukia added.

"Wait…doesn't a prism have seven colors?" Nina asked and I shrugged.

"Yeah, shouldn't there be more of you?" Flonne asked.

"Isn't it obvious? We don't have any friends!" Prism Red replied.

"Man you burned yourself there." I said chuckling at his blatant honesty.

"Being a hero is a lonely existence! You got it!?"

"Only if you make it that way." Nina rebutted.

"You sure it's not because you guys are freaks in matching outfits?" Etna asked.

"If you guys are heroes then why are you gunning for overlord?" Laharl asked.

"We want friends of course!" Prism Red replied, "If we become overlord then we'll have tons of friends! Then the Prism Rangers will have all the colors of the rainbow!"

"Backstabbing friends." I added and the twins nodded.

"We'll show you!" They all raised their hand in unity as they began to glow, Alright! Blue, Yellow; transfor-" Hell no! Etna and I shot forward as I thrusted at Blue and she shot Yellow knocking them both to the ground.

"Not happening."

"Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Yellowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!"

"That was easy." Etna said twirling her pistol.

"Curse you! Attacking before we even have a chance to transform! How inconsiderate!"

"What!? You expect us to let you get more powerful!? I hated that in T.V. shows. Just shoot them, their wide open!" I replied.

"What are you, demons!?"

"Yep." Sukia replied and he fell to his knees.

"Oh my god! I completely forgot."

"…Is your helmet on too tight?" Laharl asked in disbelief, "You should have transformed first, and then come out."

"But a true defender of justice transforms in front of the enemy!" Flonne said passionately.

"Then they have no one to blame but themselves for this happening." I said pointing to the two unconscious halfwits.

"Then it's time for my trump card! The demons I hired to help me!" Suddenly a large group of demons appeared in front of Prism Red blocking us from getting to him.

"Is it okay for a hero to be using demons?" Laharl asked.

"Of course, justice must never lose! No matter the means!"…I'm not sure how to feel about that statement. He jumped backwards up onto the cliff in front of us and put his heart over his chest, "Blue, Yellow, your deaths have awakened a burning passion in my heart!"

"Um…I think they're still breathing." Nina said poking Blue as he groaned in pain.

"Stop whining, it was only your gut and didn't hit hard enough to puncture." I said.

"Actually I have a question." Nina said, "If you hired demons then why didn't you call them out to protect you while you transformed?"

"…That's a good one." Gemi said.

"Yes, Prism Red is very stupid." Nini finished.

"Enough!" He screamed, "Feel the power of Justice, evil demons!"

As the demons came rushing at us I drew my sword and shield before dashing at the first line of them.

"Blade Rush!" With one swift motion I slashed through a line of them and once it was done I skid to the left at a horizontal line and pulled my blade up, "Wind cutter!" With a swift slash I watched as the line of wind sliced through the demons taking them out.

"Mega Star!" I looked over to see another group of demons pelted by medium sized meteors and watched as Nina swiftly thrust at the demon sneaking up behind her with her rapier; it's good to see she's getting better with a weapon...I don't want to see her hurt…but why? Shaking that thought off I turned to the demon coming up on me and quickly blocked with my shield before pushing him back, thrusting through and throwing him towards the demon behind him. I looked over to see Sukia carving up demons left and right with her extended nails. I looked over in surprise to see Gemi and Nini fighting back to back in perfect sync; every strike they made was coordinated and they switched opponents on a dime to confuse their enemies and making their style even harder to predict…they were more skilled then I gave them credit for.

"Gah!" I staggered forward and looked behind me to see a demon had snuck up on me; with a quick slash I took it out and felt my hand suddenly seize up, "Damn…paralysis!"

"Espoir!" Feeling my hand go back to normal I looked to see Nina standing next to me with a big smile on her face and I smiled back.

"Thanks. Let's keep going!" With that I took another slash at a demon and watched as Laharl jumped up the cliff side and slashed Prism Red across the chest making him disappear. Suddenly all the demons stopped fighting to our surprise, "Um…you don't want to keep fighting?"

"Nah. He's gone and we're already paid so we don't care anymore."

"That's a pretty brutal work ethic." Etna said.

"No real dedication in it." Nina added.

"Eh, at least they don't want to be Overlord." Sukia added and they all turned back to us.

"Wait…you guys are THAT group of demons?" I took a big breath before turning to Sukia.

"Sukia…I'm going to hurt you for this." She giggled nervously before they all swarmed us.

After finally taking out the goon squadron we kept walking forward until we hit a large area with a giant tree in the middle, it felt ominous and weirdly important…almost as though it was the very center of the forest.

"Hang on…is this the heart of evil?" I asked and Laharl nodded.

"It sure is." I looked around finding it surprisingly empty for the end point of our quest.

"Nobody is here." Flonne said.

"So we win?" Sukia asked and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well since nobody is here-"

"Hold my friends!" That voice! Drawing my sword I watched as Mid-Boss walked out from behind the big tree.

"What do you want? I'm busy." Laharl said brushing him off.

"Now you weren't thinking of calling yourself the overlord without first settling things with moi, were you?"

"To settle things there would have had to be a challenge." I pointed out, "He mopped the floor with you twice now."

"That's right." Laharl said, "Now get out of my way."

"Silly you, did you think I was serious?" Oh god not again.

"Who is he?" Nini asked.

"A moron." I answered, "And even worse, he's a repetitive moron."

"Too many morons today."

"Agreed." Gemi replied.

"Ditto." I added.

"Now you shall feel my true power!" Mid-Boss said, "I have attained ultra-speed by training and training and training, all while wearing one hundred ton boxers!" Gross, "Can your eyes keep up?" We all drew our weapons, "Here I come! The throne is mine!"

Dashing forward I took a swing but as my blade went through him he suddenly vanished in to thin air; I felt something hit my gut and was shocked to see Mid-Boss had hit me in the gut sending me reeling to the ground. Getting up I took another swing as he disappeared and turned around holding my shield up to block as a hit came out of nowhere.

"Very good, you're learning to predict you enemies' movements." Suddenly I felt my feet leave the ground and looked to see Mid-Boss holding my shield up, "But I'm sorry to say that's not enough, Adonic Shot!" Feeling a force hit my center I went flying back into a tree and collapsed on the ground.

"Owen!" Nina cried rushing over to me as I got back up.

"He's definitely a lot more powerful than before. The biggest problem is that he's way too fast." I looked up to see Laharl and Etna trying to hit Mid-Boss while Flonne tried pegging him with her arrows; the problem was that he moved too fast for the eye to catch and that made it impossible to actually hit him, "The only way to hit him is to be as fast as he is and we can't do that without some kind of spell."

"…Hang on!" Nina said catching my attention, "I know a spell that might work…but I'm going to need help."

"You rang?" Sukia said suddenly behind her.

"Sukia, I need your magic power for a spell chain."

"Anything for you Nina…but I don't think two will be enough."

"Shall we help as well?" Gemi and Nini asked turning into Nina, "Three should be enough."

"What are you four planning?" I asked and they all giggled.

"Don't worry about it." Sukia said and Nina grabbed my hand.

"We're going to make you faster." Faster, "Hold still and take deep breath…you're senses are going to be a bit too fast so be careful."

"Wait, shouldn't we choose someone stronger?" I asked and Nina looked me in the eye confidently.

"You can do this…okay?"…Nina…

"Okay!"

"We're going to be burned out after this so it's all up to you." They all took a deep breath and stretched out their hands.

"…Speed Boost!" I felt my senses suddenly slow down as everyone I looked at become slower and slower…no…my perception was getting quicker! Shooting up I looked over to see Mid-Boss was moving at normal speed and even waiting for the others to move slowly; this was my chance! Standing up I rushed at Mid-Boss and took a swing hitting him and making him stagger and fall over.

"I see you've decided to work together. Very good." He stood up and faced me, "Now tell me, have you gotten stronger?"

"…Not yet…but Nina, Sukia and the Gemini Twins put their faith in me and I'm going to make sure I take you down!" I took a swing and he blocked with his arms.

"So…you've taken your first step. Then show me what your resolve amounts to my friend!" I felt my face curve into a smile.

"You got it!" I took another swing as he backed up and reeled back for a punch; I blocked with my shield and rushed forward bashing into him before thrusting at his open leg and going through it. He stepped back and swung his leg sending my shield up and punched directly at my chest sending me back, "Damn…this is slowing me down!" Removing my shield I threw it at Mid-Boss and rushed forward gripping my sword with both hands and as he hit the shield away I swung at his chest cutting it open and swung up all the way to his chin before he punched me knocking me to the ground.

"Very primal my friend…but still not enough. My body is as hard as diamonds!" If that's true…

"Then it's time to try something new!" Rolling backwards onto my feet I dropped my blade and thrust my hand forward with all my might feeling an intense fire in my body, "GIGA FIRE!" An intense fire burst from my hand and consumed Mid-Boss in a massive explosion that actually shook the ground underneath me and made my knees go weak. Once it was over I felt my body start to collapse and fought with all my will to stay standing. When the fire cleared I was shocked to see Mid-Boss was still standing…but those weren't the same eyes from before.

"So…you found what you wanted to fight for…even if you can't see it yet, your heart can." With those words the world started to go back to its' normal speed as Mid-Boss clutched his stomach in pain, "Ooooh…uggghhh…sudden…stomach cramps."

"What?" Laharl said looking shocked and confused.

"Pardon moi, but I must use the restroom. Au re voir!" With that he dashed away in the blink of an eye as Laharl face palmed.

"He ran away…again."

"His excuses are getting more pathetic by the day." Etna said.

"Guess that last ditch effort was pretty useless." Sukia said looking exhausted, "And so all that energy draining goes to waste."…

"Yeah…oh well." I said.

"You suck."

"You suck!"

"So…is that it?" Flonne asked.

"That means…" Laharl began, "I'm the overlord!"

"So he's now the Overlord…does that mean I get a raise?" I asked and Etna started laughing, "Yeah…didn't think so."

"So the prince is now the overlord…it's sooooo hard to believe." Etna said.

"Well, he's been working hard to get this far…I guess it was bound to happen." Nina said.

"He's so happy…it's kind of cute." Flonne said giggling as Laharl bounced around the tree happily and I chuckled…it kind of was.

"Shouldn't you be worried Flonne?" Etna asked.

"Why?"

"You helped the prince become the overlord."

"Uh…" Oh god…well, guess she doesn't exactly work under god anymore.

"Treasonous Angel." Gemi said.

"Punishment by death." Nini finished making Flonne freak out.

"Stop that you two." Nina said pouting at them.

"Yes Ma'am." The replied in unison.

"W-W-W-W-W-What should I do!? If the Seraph hears of this there's no telling what kind of punishment awaits me! I might be dismissed from my angel trainee position."

"And spend the rest of your life scrubbing toilets in celestial bathrooms." I added and she shook her head.

"Owen!" Nina said.

"Sorry."

"You could change jobs and become a demon…you'd still be scrubbing toilets but it's a change of scenery." Etna offered.

"Nooooo!"

"Is everyone going to make this worse?" Nina asked sighing.

"I could try…but I won't for you." Sukia answered sticking her tongue at me.

"Oh Master Lamington! Please guide me!" As Flonne prayed with all her might I looked down at my hands seeing scorch marks along them…guess I can use magic…but obviously Mid-Boss is more than he seems…and what did he mean I have something to fight for…hopefully I'll find out soon.

"Overlord! Overlord! Overlord!" But first…I've got to deal with our new ruler Laharl: Brat of the Netherworld…why is my life hell?


	11. Love

"Alright Twins. Show me what you can- ohf!" Before I could finish my sentence I was thrown into the nearby castle wall by myself before it turned back into the twins.

"Was that acceptable?" They asked in unison before I leaped up and hit them both over the head.

"I asked you to show me what YOU can do. Not what I can do!"

"I'm sure each of you have something you can do." Nina said patting their heads affectionately.

"…Gemi, dual strike?"

"Agreed Nini." They both leaped into the air as Gemi pulled out a cleaver while Nini pulled out a javelin; Nini threw her weapon at my feet making me stagger and fall to the ground as Gemi rushed in with his cleaver. Before I could get up Nini landed and pulled her javelin out of the ground and pointed it directly at my neck before Gemi rushed in and did the same with his cleaver; so…that was what they had apparently.

"That's…better." I said trying to stay as still as possible and avoid losing my neck.

"We have proven ourselves Gemi."

"Indeed Nini." They quickly put their weapons away as Nina rushed over and helped me up.

"Are you okay Owen?" She asked standing very close to me.

"Yeah, they didn't hurt me." I replied feeling my face heat up.

"Oh good…I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"Th-Thanks…" A small moment of silence followed before I heard a groan from above us and looked to see Sukia floating above us.

"I'm bored…Nina can we go do something, just the two of us, a little girl time?"

"Sure. What did you want to do?" Nina said stepping back as Sukia floated down and stood in between us…mood killer.

"How about we head to the nearby town and check out the shops?" Sukia offered gripping Nina's hands, "There's something there that is just looked too adorable; once it's on you of course." As they talked they began to walk away and I gave out a long sigh before turning to the twins.

"So what are you two doing?" They shrugged in response, "Well…let's go see what Laharl is doing then."

We walked into the throne room to see Laharl sitting on the throne laughing to himself as Flonne stood on the side; he's been like this for days, ever since he became Overlord all he's done is sit in his throne laughing to himself like a maniac.

"Oh god. Hey Laharl!" I shouted making him stop and look over at me, "How about doing something besides losing your mind!"

"Are you talking back to the overlord?" He said standing up and glaring at me.

"From what I've seen you've done nothing but act like a mental patient for weeks on end since you became the overlord. Are you actually doing anything with your new power?"

"Laughing is very important to being an overlord."

"Regardless it shouldn't be the only thing." The twins nodded in agreement.

"Silence! All of you!" He bellowed, "Besides, there's no task fitting my title as King Laharl the Terrible!" King Laharl the Terrible…oh those flyers are going to bite me in the ass aren't they?

"Well then I've got something for you prince." Etna said stepping up to the throne.

"Call me 'your highness'. I'm the overlord now."

"Oh come on, that's a minor detail."

"Even I won't call you that." I replied making him shoot me his usual glare.

"So, what kind of job is it? You want to me to make it rain pepper on earth so people can't stop sneezing?"…What, "Or give them an addicting video game they can't stop playing?"…Was he serious? Even I know that's amateur hour crap!

"Prince, meet Aramis." Etna said introducing a demon kid with red hair and a cold look on his face.

"Who's this kid?"

"Don't call me a kid! You're more of a kid yourself." Aramis retorted causing Laharl's aura to explode in anger.

"What!? Who the hell do you think I am you little brat!?" Suddenly Flonne put her hand on Laharl's shoulder making his rage subside slightly.

"Now, now. He is just a child."

"Shut up flat-chest." Aramis retorted and her aura exploded as well.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU…!?" Man, he struck a nerve with an angel…impressive, "Stay calm Flonne. At times like this, love is the answer. With love there is understanding."

"…Is she crazy?"

"You have no idea." I replied.

"Hmph, you've got some attitude kid." Laharl said and Etna put on a big grin.

"Just like you prince."

"Yeah right…so what has he got to do with the job?"

"His pets are missing."

"…And?"

"And your job is to look for them."

"…Are you a complete idiot! Why would the overlord look for some little brats pets!?"

"It's the perfect job for you." I snickered out as he hurled an energy ball at me.

"Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous! Bring me something more fitting for my first task as overlord!"

"I refuse!" Etna yelled shocking all of us; even the twins' eyes widen slightly, "It may seem ridiculous to you but it's important to him! This is a perfect way to begin your rule as overlord! And if you don't do it then I'm never going to accept you as the overlord!"

"Geez Etna, you're more pissed off then when Laharl steals your snacks form the back of the fridge. What's up?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with you?" Laharl asked and Etna's brow furrowed.

"Answer me! Will you do it or not!?"

"F-Fine! I'll do it, I'll do it."

"Good! You better not slack off!" Aramis said and Laharl grumbled.

"Why am I, the overlord of the netherworld, taking orders from some brat!?"

"Because you're overlord." I said snickering before feeling him sock me in the jaw, "So when are we headed out?"

"Actually, this is all the prince's work." Etna said shocking Laharl.

"Wha- on my own!?"

"Yep. That's the deal."

"Ngh…whatever! I'll get it done just as quick anyway! Let's get moving!" Laharl turned back to the kid, "Where are your pets, brat?"

"At Salamander's Breath." He replied and I gave a small cough.

"A hot place? Have fun with that Laharl." I put my hands on the twins, "I think we'll go relaxe for the day while you sweat your butt off."

"I'm docking your pay." Laharl said coldly and I scoffed.

"You mean the pay I don't get? Have fun." He grumbled as we all walked away.

"He's going to kill you." Gemi said and I shrugged.

"It won't be painless." Nini finished and I sighed.

"That's a problem for later. Let's go relax." I finished scooting them to the courtyard as Laharl lobbed various balls of energy at us in quick succession.

Nina

As Sukia and I passed through the dimensional portal we found ourselves in the Netherworld Bazzar; apparently it was getting started for the month so we had a chance to see what vendors across the Netherworld were selling…maybe they had something I could get for Owen as a thank you for teaching me sword play…even if he was only teaching me from a book.

"This is even better, I can find the best clothing ever…maybe even something more risqué for you Nina." Sukia said with a sly smile and pinching my side.

"I'm not sure I'd look good in anything really." I replied feeling a little embarrassed, "Come on, let's browse around for a bit." Sukia nodded before we headed into the maze of shops and vendors who were all calling out to us and beckoning us over to their shops. As we walked around I was amazed by the variety of items each store boasted; from weapons to accessories and even exotic sweets it was really interesting to see what the Netherworld considered worth selling.

"You fine ladies look like you'd be interested in some exotic items from an alternate Netherworld." We walked up to the booth and the demon rolled out a mat of various jewelry and vials full of strange liquid, "From jewelry to physical enhancement supplements we have everything a beautiful woman could need to make them even more beautiful." I felt myself blush at his compliment as Sukia gave a seductive giggle leaning forward.

"You know just how to charm a girl don't you? I do like this locket, how much?"

"That's a connection locket. By putting your name and the one you loves name into it and you'll be connected forever. Thirty thousand hell." Sukia pouted before opening up the top of her shirt and leaning even more forward.

"Are you sure I can't get a discount? It would make me very thankful…what do you say?" The vendor stuttered before Sukia finished him off with a wink making him fall backwards.

"Three hundred hell. Just for you." He replied finally as Sukia put the amount on the table before kissing his cheek.

"Thank you sweetie." I giggled at her play before she skipped away from the booth as I followed. Even if she was being kind of a tease it was interesting to see her manipulate men, and some women, to her whim by flaunting herself…I wonder if she would teach me to do that?

"Hey Sukia, could you teach me to do that?" I asked and she giggled.

"I'd be more than happy to Nina. I'll show you how to flaunt it later…for now do you mind if we talk somewhere private?" She looked at me shyly as she blushed…did she want to talk about a crush? This would be my first girl gab…I finally had someone to girl talk with!

"Of course. Come on, I think there's a fountain nearby we can sit at." I replied feeling excited for my first chat with another girl.

Owen

I lied back on the grass as the cold wind whipped around me; it was chilling and almost too much but after being here for months I learned to get used to it...mostly.

"Is that enjoyable?" Gemi asked.

"It doesn't look like it." Nini added.

"You know, the whole in sync talking thing is kind of creepy." I said leaning up to look at them.

"We are Gemini twins." Gemi said.

"As such we are one in the same." Nini added.

"We speak the same."

"Talk the same."

"And enjoy the same things."

"Yeah…but isn't Nini a girl?" I asked and they went quiet.

"No further comment." They said in unison.

"R-Right…" Lying back down I took a deep breath and let my mind begin to wander. Back home I would have given an arm and a leg for something to do besides football practice…but because Etna was such a brutal tyrant with her training I learned to appreciate the quiet and peace of doing nothing even for a few minutes.

"May I ask a question?" Nini asked and I nodded, "What is Nina to you?" I scrambled up in surprise.

"Wha- where did this come from?"

"…You two seem close."

"Well…if I had to put it simply…I care for her a lot." I answered feeling my cheeks heat up, "It's not only because she's sweet and strong but…because she actually cares about me. Even after all I've done to her she's still willing to help me and put her trust in me…it means a lot. I owe her more than I can ever give back." I felt my heart begin to race as I thought back to what she's done for me since we've been stuck here, "…I…I admire here more than anyone."

"…You love her." Gemi said and I found myself smiling.

"…Yeah, I really do." I admitted, "Just…keep this between us okay?" They looked at each other before smiling and nodding, "Thanks…I want her to have a happy life…!" I shot up feeling a strange lightness in my body.

"Is something wrong?" Nini asked.

"No…but I feel…better…for some reason." I looked down at my hand and saw it had calmed slightly.

Nina

We took a seat at the fountain at the center of the bazar and I looked around finding the area surprisingly empty; it was like we were the only ones in the area while the stands and shops were crowded to the brim with demons and people.

"I guess it is a bit early in the day for people to be resting." I said giggling, "But I don't mind."

"…Hey Nina?" Sukia said quietly, "Do you mind if I ask why you're so kind to others?"

"Oh…well…I can't really explain why…I just don't want to hurt others." I replied and Sukia giggled.

"That's just like you isn't it?"

"I guess…"

"…Is that why you saved me?"

"Well…it felt natural to do…you saved me from…myself. It was only right."

"But…I was only trying to turn you into food. Then you decided to save me…"

"Sukia, there's something different between you and other demons we encounter. In that moment I saw hesitation in your eyes…you didn't want to fight. Can you tell me why?"

"I…I saw Owen's dedication in that moment. I found myself wondering what gave him such dedication to fight…then when I found out it was you I found myself wondering what type of girl you were. Then you showed what type of girl you were in the first few seconds of meeting you." Owen…

"I suppose I should thank him for that as well." I said feeling suddenly nostalgic.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Owen…I owe him a lot for everything he's done to help me. He saved me more times than I can count."

"But haven't you been the one saving him all this time?"

"That's not true. There are times I've looked at what we've faced and felt my knees buckle in fear. Giving up has crossed my mind more than once…but then I look at Owen and see him fighting harder than anyone. His determination to get stronger, although reckless, gives me the strength to fight full force in battle. As long as others are ready to fight…so will I."

"…He gives you that feeling?"

"Yeah…he does." I replied feeling my cheeks heat up and my lips curl into a smile.

"…You love him…don't you?"

"…Yes. He's a bit hotheaded and more than a little stubborn…but I love that he cares about me enough to struggle and grow stronger…and still reach his hand to help me even in distain of my abilities. He may act like he's trying to one up others but I know the truth…he cares about us…and I care about him enough to fight." Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and saw Owen standing before me, "Even in my thoughts he's there as an anchor to keep me around. Is there anyone like that for you Sukia?" I turned to see a shocked look on her face and tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Y-Yeah…they're a bit out of my reach though…and it hurts to think about." She replied wiping her eyes with her sleeve and standing up, "Come on, let's keep looking around for interesting items."

"Are…Are you going to be okay?" I asked putting my hand on her shoulder; she chuckled before brushing off my hand and smiling.

"I'm fine…it just hurts to focus on." Sukia…

"Then let's go look at clothing…I'll even let you pick out a few pieces for me."

"Hmhm…thanks Nina."

Owen

I watched as the Gemini Twins morphed in and out of their different copies; they moved from me to Nina to Sukia to Laharl to Etna to Flonne and then back to me over and over again…it was interesting to watch them do this flawlessly.

"Hey, where are you two from anyway?" I asked and they turned back into their original form.

"All new demons originate from a void in the Netherworld." Gemi started.

"We are no different from those who you tried to summon." Nini added.

"But you guys seem much more…capable then newborn babies."

"All demons are given the basic knowledge needed to function in this world from the moment they are summoned."

"In some cases they are also given a personality to give them a jumping off point."

"Really? You two have a…pretty blank slate." They looked away as their cheeks flushed.

"We…don't have an answer for that either." They said in unison.

"Hehehe…of course. Well, just means you can be your own people now. Make your own personalities."

"…I like that plan." Gemi said.

"Me too." Nini added.

"But…how about dropping the twin act shtick." They gave a coy smile, "Don't pretend to be oblivious either!"

After a few hours we headed back inside and I looked over at the dimensional gate to see Nina and Sukia pop out of it with big smiles on their faces; in each of their hands were enough bags to make me wonder how their arms hadn't fallen off from the weight.

"How did your shopping trip go?" I asked as they approached.

"Great! We got so much stuff from the bazar!" Nina said with a big smile as she raised her hands.

"Really? You didn't go out with much hell, how did you manage that?"

"Let's just say that most of the vendors were men or loose women." Sukia said crossing her arms and pushing her bosom out with a sly grin, "Getting a discount wasn't too hard with these babies helping me out."

"Of course you would play that card." I replied with a sigh of disappointment.

"Oh come on it's not that bad. Even Nina was able to use hers for a few good deals." Nina gave a deep blush as I grabbed Sukia by her collar.

"Are you trying to corrupt her you vixen!?"

"Oh lay off you big baby." She replied pushing me back with her pinkie, "Nothing is sacred for longer than ten seconds."

"Why ten seconds?" Nini asked and Sukia let out a laugh.

"Ten seconds is all you need to turn a goody two-shoes into a sin lover."

"Gross." I commented and Gemi chuckled.

Once we had gone through all of the stuff they had gotten from the bazar Nina tapped my shoulder.

"I got something for you while we were out." She said reaching into one of the bags.

"Really? You didn't have to." She shook her head and giggled.

"I wanted to. Hang on." She reached into the bag before pulling her hands out and reaching into another one, "…There it is!" She pulled her hand out and moved her gripped hand over to me, "I found this and thought you would like it." I put my hand under as she dropped a tiny sword and shield charm into my hand.

"What's this?" I asked looking it over.

"They're special size altering equipment." She explained moving right next to me and tapping the charm, "One touch-" Suddenly they grew into a full sword and shield set, "-and they're full weapons! Pretty cool right?"

"That's really cool actually!" I said in amazement, "Hang on, this must have run a fortune!"

"No, I got a- oh hang on." She crossed her arms and clumsily flaunted her chest, "D-Discount…is this right?"

"…Please stop listening to Sukia. For your sake." Thinking about it I looked around and was surprised to see Sukia wasn't with us; she was always around Nina, "Hey, where is she anyway?"

"Huh…I'm not sure. She must have gone to the bathroom."

"She's in the courtyard." Nini said.

"Oh, I need her help to divide some of this stuff. She did buy a good amount of the clothes here."

"I'll go grab her then." I said shrinking the weapon back down and putting it around my neck. Standing up I left the barracks and headed for the courtyard.

As I headed outside I could hear someone sniffling and hiccupping at a quiet yet still uncontrolled rate; someone was crying out here…man this place is where everyone heads when they have a problem. Following the sound I was surprised to find Sukia huddled under the dead tree and cupping her hands in her face. I took a step forward and snapped a twig making her look up in surprise; her face was a bright red as tears were streaming down her face making me step back in shock, this was the first time I've seen her so vulnerable.

"Oh…it's you." She said weakly before letting her guard down and lying against the tree weakly, "Sorry, I just needed a moment to myself."

"…What's wrong?" I asked approaching her.

"What gave it away? The tears?"

"No the fact that you apologized to me was an even bigger red flag." I replied sitting down next to her and she giggled before pushing me.

"Screw you."

"Whatever…so what's wrong?"

"…I just got my heart ripped out today." Oh…

"I'm…I'm sorry." I said unsure of how to reply.

"It's okay…I should have seen it coming after all. But you know…that's what love is, even if the chances are slim you still go for it…I guess I was lucky enough to find that out before I confessed huh?"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Huh?"

"You'll never have that closure. Are you okay with that?"

"…Yeah. It's better that way in the end…hey Owen?"

"Yeah?" Suddenly she shoved something in my hand and stood up.

"…Do better than me okay? Although…I guess you're already doing that." With those finals words she walked away. I looked down at my hand to see she had given me a heart shaped locket with two small empty frames inside…I wonder what she meant by that.


	12. Sins

"Red moon, Red moon…

cleanses the sinful and makes them anew…

shining brightly in the night sky waiting for the souls.

Who will be born again tonight?

Who will be born again tonight?" I rose from my bed as the sounds of group singing seemed to flow though my ear; while it was at a distance and no more than a low sound I found myself rising up and looking around for the source. I looked to my left and right to see both Owen and Sukia were still sleeping peacefully as the music continued slowly growing more distant as I got up and slipped on my shoes heading for the main hall. As I stepped out I came to a stop as a line of Prinnies were passing by me in slow march; even with their emotionless eyes I felt a certain amount of calm and peace radiating off of them.

"Mmmm…what's happening?" I looked over to see Flonne had also gotten up and was watching the rows of prinnies next to me, "Nina, where are all the prinnies going?"

"I'm not sure; the music seemed to pull me out of my sleep with its melody." I answered as the prinny row came to an end; I looked over to see they were all moving through the front gates of the castle.

"Wait-"

"Don't try stop them." I jumped slightly and looked over to see a red prinny standing next to us before moving in front of us; its voice was a soothing woman's…almost a motherly tone, "Just let them be, they were finally able to atone for their sins, the only thing we can do now is pray for happiness in their next lives."

"Next lives?" I asked and the prinnny nodded.

"Every prinny is brought into this world because they hold sins they committed in their past life. On this night those who have atoned for their sins are reincarnated and return back to the world of the living." She began to follow the prinnies and we followed behind as the headed for the front gates. I looked into the sky to see the moon was a soothing red color bordering on pink; as I stared at it I felt my body lighten and my mind begin to tell me to follow its glowing light…

"Nina?" I was shaken out of my blissful state as Flonne's voice called for me, "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah…it's just a beautiful moon."

"The red moon symbolizes the time of reincarnation. It is the only time that those who have paid for their sins may be reborn." I looked down at the red prinny to see the iris of her eyes slightly tremble.

"…You seem different from the other prinnies." I said and she looked over at me in shock.

"W-What are you talking about? I'm just like any other prinny."

"No, she's right." Flonne said in agreement, "You even speak differently."

"I-I don't know what you mean…dood. I'm just like any other prinny…dood."

"I'm sure you have your reasons. We'll make sure anyone else who hears this is told the same thing." I nodded in agreement.

"…Thank you, both of you. Flonne…"

"Yes?"

"Since you've been here, the prince has changed…dood."

"You really think so?"

"I know so." I thought about what she said for a moment and a realized…she was right. I may not have known the prince for very long but lately he's been more willing to listen to others and show kindness on occasion; it's much different from the selfish child I first met when I came here.

"Thank goodness, I'm glad someone else sees it too. It's good to know he's opening up to the idea of love." She then turned to me and stared for a moment as I stood there in confusion and discomfort.

"…You're soul…"

"What about it?"

"…No, it's not my place to say." With that she turned around and followed the line out of the castle and into the distance towards the moon. What did she mean by that…is something wrong with my soul?

Owen

I gave a loud yawn as the four of us headed for the throne room; apparently all of the prinnies have gone missing and nobody has any clue where they headed or what happened to them…the castle is a mess now though.

"Geez, where did they go?" I heard Laharl say as we climbed the steps up to the throne.

"So, prinnies are missing?" I asked and Etna nodded.

"Yep, several, if not all of them, have just up and vanished since last night."

"So what happened?" Sukia asked and Etna huffed.

"How should I know, maybe they left because the prince treated them so badly."

"I believe it." I said rubbing my eyes.

"Hey!" Laharl yelled at me before going into deep thought, "C-Come to think of it, twenty hour workdays with no days off WAS a bit harsh."

"A bit!?" Nina said in shock.

"That's slave work." Nini said.

"Not even worth the pay." Gemi added.

"In conditions like that it's no wonder they decided to fly-by-night." Flonne said with a frown as we all turned to her.

"…Repeat that little tidbit please?" I asked and she became flustered.

"I-I mean…they um…wherever they went…or were abducted…or-"

"Is there something you're not telling us?" Laharl asked glaring at Flonne.

"No! Nothing at all…hehe." Laharl stared her down making her sweat bullets before he looked away and turned back to everyone.

"Well we're going to hunt them all down! If people hear I let my vassals escape then I'll lose all respect!"

"You had respect?" I asked.

"Shut it! Now let's get moving! Even if it is a waste of time I'll bringing them back!"

"Laharl that's rude!" FLonne yelled at him and Etna pulled her back and began whispering.

"So where are we going to look for them?" Sukia asked, "If nobody knows where they went then how will we know where to go?"

"You sure you didn't steal them?" I asked and she smacked me in the arm, "Got it…you know, I heard a noise last night but I didn't pay enough attention to figure out what it was." I concentrated trying to remember what I heard, "Something about…a red moon."

"Red moon? Are we already on that cycle?" Etna asked stopping her conversation, "If their after the red moon then they're going to be headed to the Lunar Snowfield."

"Why there?" Sukia asked.

"It's the only place where you can actually find a tower to get to the red moon." A tower?

"Why would they be going after the red moon?" I asked and I looked over to see Nina was fidgeting slightly, "Are you okay Nina?"

"Yeah…just something about the moon makes me feel weird." She replied looking at the ceiling, "I-I don't know why…l-let's just get moving." She began to shuffle away quickly as I stood there feeling confused and shocked; this was the first time I've seen here so distressed and confused…I really didn't like it.

As everyone was getting prepared to go on a prinny hunt I wandered the castle aimlessly; I had all my supplies ready so all I had was time on my hands while the others did whatever they had to. As I passed through the sleeping quarters I was surprised to see Gemi and Nini sitting on their bed and taking deep breaths in sync with each other.

"What are you two doing?" I asked approaching and they looked over at me.

"The red moon is a very delicate time for us." Gemi said.

"It beckons to those who have committed sins light a beckon in the night." Nini finished.

"So? What does that have to do with you two being here and meditating like monks?" I asked and they gave each other a look before turning back to me.

"Beacon is not a suitable word for what it is."

"It is…a calling. Only by maintaining our composer can we avoid its power and remain in this realm." That must be why all the prinnies suddenly vanished; as creatures of sin they were drawn by the moon.

"Wait…you have sins? You two are barely a month old."

"Unlike you and Nina we are born from past lives. When we are born we still carry those who we absorbed."

"Our abilities are born from sins and we must accept that."

"That's…too bad actually. It's not fair to have to be born with sin."

"Christianity teaches that you are born with original sins even as a human." Gemi held out a bible and I grabbed it before tossing it into the nearby trash bin.

"Yeah I'm not a big fan of being told I'm terrible before I can even understand anything about the world."

"Even so sin does exist. Whether it is made during a weak time in your life or a moment of clarity-"

"-no sin is different in strength."

"…You two are kind of terrifying you know that?"

"Etna says the same thing."

"Well, at least we agree on something…wait so you go into a daze when you see the moon?"

"Yes."

"That is why we are taking a moment to collect our thoughts."

"You might want to do the same."

"…And what does that mean!?"

"…Nothing."

"You both suck."

After an…'un-antagonizing' conversation with the twins I headed for the courtyard and looked up at the pale red moon that hung in the sky…and yet it seemed to shine brightly even in its dull fleeting color. I stared at for a full minute but I couldn't feel this pull that the twins told me about…I didn't feel anything when I looked at that moon except confusion at what everyone had said about this ball in the sky.

"Ahh, everyone over exaggerates." I looked over to see Nina sitting under her favorite dead tree and staring at the moon unblinking with glazed over eyes; it was like the moon had her completely entranced, she didn't…no…it has to be a coincidence, "Nina." She seemed to jump before looking over at me.

"Oh…hi Owen." She gave me a sweet smile and beckoned me to sit next to her which I happily took up, "Sorry…it's just that the moon is very captivating."

"Really? I don't get that feeling from it."

"Hmm…maybe it's just me."

"Well everyone finds different things captivating…like I…findyoucaptivating."

"What?"

"N-Nothing." I replied hastily covering my face; why did I say that? An awkward silence hung in the air until I felt someone touch my hand and looked to see Nina holding it…and I felt at ease as I returned her grip eagerly, "…Maybe it does have a certain type of beauty to it…"

"Beauty is best appreciated when it's shared."

"…I think I see the meaning."

"Hey!" I jumped slightly and Looked over to see Laharl and Etna standing at the entrance, "We have to get moving!"

"Yeah, stop flirting and get over here." Quickly letting go of Nina's hand I scratched the back of my head nervously as she giggled.

"I…I guess we should get moving." I said standing up.

"I'll catch up with you in a few minutes, I have to grab the twins…they're probably in the dorms…you know they're actually pretty cute."

"They had mines."

"…Pranksters?"

"They don't show emotion very much."

"…Shy? They're opening up I'm pretty sure."

"Let's put a pin in this for later." Heading for the castle I turned and gave her a wave which she returned to my relief and chuckled feeling slightly blissful.

"Aw…you're admiration is sickening." I looked up to see Sukia floating just above my head before dropping to the ground to my left and walking beside me with a big cocky grin on her face.

"Yeah…almost as sickening as the number of people you've 'courted'."

"You really need more material other than throwing that in my face."

"How about…your IQ is twenty lower than your bust size."

"That's more a compliment than anything."

"Shut it! Both of you!" We both stood up straight as Laharl paced in front of the gate slowly growing more menacing by the moment as his growls became louder, "Where is the magician and the twins? I'm not leaving until we have the whole army."

"When did we become an army?" Sukia asked and I shrugged.

"Angel. Go find them!"

"Well Nina went to get the twins." I blurted out, "They should be together."

"Yet we are not." We all looked over to see Gemi and Nini walking towards us.

"Is Nina missing?" Nini asked with a small hint of worry in her voice.

"…You don't know where she is?" I asked and they both shook their heads, "…I'm going to go check the courtyard." Stumbling out of line I rushed to the courtyard as quickly as I could and hastily looked for her usual spot, she was nowhere to be found and there weren't even footprints to show which way she went…it's almost like she disappeared…or she followed someone…or something. I looked up at the moon thinking back to what the Gemini twins said about the red moon and its pull at the sinful…but she couldn't have a sin…not Nina.

"Owen?" I turned around to see Sukia and the twins standing behind me.

"…The moon?" Gemi asked and I nodded, both twins sulked at this conformation and Sukia seemed to look away keeping her eyes glued to the ground.

"Why would the moon pull Nina? She's the sweetest girl, I can't imagine a sin she would have." I said trying to think about what could have pulled Nina to the moon.

"Actually…we do know one sin." Sukia said and I turned to her, "Remember…it's the reason we met." …! That's right…that was the day she tried to take her own life…but-

"But she didn't do it!"

"Attempt is still an accusable crime." Sukia said sadly.

"Damn it! That's not fair!"

"Being fair isn't part of the Netherworld's customs."

"Then screw the damn Netherworld! Right now Nina is out there following a stupid red moon and we have no clue where she's headed!"

"Yes we do!" Gemi said catching our attention.

"The red moon tower." Nini finished.

"Where all the prinnies are gathering." Sukia added. So we're headed to the Lunar Snowfield anyway; not just for a bunch of prinnies but also for Nina now. I took a deep breath and collected myself before turning to the twins.

"Alright, let's head back to Laharl and just head for the Lunar Snowfield. Will you two have a problem with the moon?"

"No, we should not be swayed by the moon." Gemi said.

"It should just be a low tingle in our blood." Nini added.

"Oh, then like every red moon night." Sukia said confusing me.

"What is with you guys and this whole moon thing? I understand how it can catch Nina but why am I not affected?" This time all three of them gave me a surprised look.

"You-"

"-aren't affected by the moon?" I shook my head.

"…It's weird to think someone like you doesn't have sin." Sukia said and I shot her a glare, "No, seriously Owen. The fact that you don't have any sins is remarkable and uncommon…that might not be a good thing though."

"What are you guys blabbering about?"

"…Owen, maybe you should sit this one out." The twins said in unison with worried looks on their faces; what was wrong with them, they had shown more emotion today than ever before…and all over a stupid moon!

"What the hell is wrong with you guys? You're freaking out over nothing!"

"No Owen, we're not. This doesn't have anything to do with your strength but rather your tolerance. Pure souls have a certain…problem with sins; more than just one sin is the collection that gathers there."

"The collection?"

"Prinnies go to be reborn there. Since the moon pulls at their sins it brings those feeling to life…and you can feel it in the air; the remorse, the fear, the hate, the lust, jealousy, pain, despair, it's all there and stronger than anything else…sins are very dangerous for pure souls to handle."

"Then why let Flonne go?"

"Angels have an immunity." Gemi answered.

"Their angelic aura acts as a barrier against the pressure in the air." Nini finished.

"Owen…you could be consumed by madness and sin if you step near that tower." So that's why they want to leave me here…if I go there I could end up going completely mad and destroy any semblance of thought…but Nina. I don't know why but I have this feeling that if I don't get there then something terrible is going to happen to Nina; I can't explain why but my senses are telling me something terrible is happening to Nina as we stand here.

"…No. I'm going to the Lunar Snowfield and I'm going to find Nina. I'm not going to wait around as others do what I can do myself. I won't go mad and I'll find her." They both gave a worried look, "Now let's get moving this instant. I won't waste time when I can get things done, and you can either follow or stay out of my way."

"…We'll follow." The twins replied as Sukia nodded in agreement.

"Let's head back to Laharl then." I passed by them and headed back for the portal as I heard Sukia and the twins walk behind me quietly. I knew I talked to them rather rudely and forcefully but I'm not going to let those two stop me when she's in trouble…I know they care but I refuse to let anyone stop me! I wasn't stopped during football practice ever and I won't be stopped by Sukia or the twins.

Nina

I shook my head for a moment and looked around in shock at where I was standing. I was in front of a large tower that had stairs leading to the top. I could hear the same singing that I heard last night, only this time it was much clearer and seemed to come from every angle from where I standing. Around me were the missing prinnies that silently climbed the stairs; they all had the same blank look but just like last time I could feel that same amount of calm and peace radiating off of them as I did the night before. When I looked up at the top I could see a cloaked figure holding a scythe and felt my hands tremble slightly as it turned in my direction; it had no face and yet seemed to look in my direction before pointing to the sky. I looked at where he was pointing and saw the glow of the red moon before everything became hazy and my mind drifted into the clam and serene it radiated…this felt right…and yet wrong at the same time.


	13. Passing

I took a step onto the snowy ground of the Lunar Snowfield and I took a look around finding the area surprisingly empty; I expected to see prinnies littering the area or at least some of their bodies.

"Owen." I turned to Sukia and she pointed up at the sky; I looked to see the red moon hanging in the sky far away with a tower just under its glow poking out over the mountain range.

"So that's where we're headed." I said stepping forward.

"Yep," Etna said, "All the prinies gather at that tower in the distance, the moon shines strongest at the top."

"Let's get moving." Laharl said striding forward as we followed behind. Suddenly I felt my collar be pulled back and fell into a pile of snow as a demon shot out of the ground where I was just standing, "Tch, out of my way peons!" I stood up and turned to see Gemi had been the one to pull me back before drawing his weapon as I did the same.

I took a closer look and noticed that these were all monster class demons…but something was off, their eyes seemed less wild then the others I had run into and they didn't roar or move towards us unless we moved. Brushing aside their strange attitude I moved towards a line of them and carved through all of them with blade rush before jumping backwards and sending a mega fire at the next line. Taking a breather I watched as the twins rushed past me as more monsters came forward; Nini stabbed through one with her javelin as Gemi jumped over her cleaving the monster she pierced before Nini spun past Gemi and pulled her javelin back before piercing through three more and smashing them against the ground as Gemi spun to the side and pulled back before cleaving through all of them. Before I could step forward to take the next line Sukia soared forward and extended her nails into fine blades as another line burst up from the snow; Sukia spun in a full circle slicing through all of them and reducing them into small pieces before they faded away. Stepping past her I slid to a stop as a larger monster popped up and screeched at me almost sending me flying backwards; standing my ground I thrust into it and began to circle it generating a whirlwind before swinging up sending it flying and then leaped into the air before slamming it onto the ground and taking it out.

"God damn it. They keep popping out of the woodwork."

"They seem determined to stop us from moving forward." Damn it, I don't have time to deal with these stupid demons that just want to stop me…but I WON'T BE STOPPED! Dropping the shield I pulled my blade back and waited for one of them to approach; once it came into slashing distance I swung with all my might and was amazed as a red vortex opened up on the ground while another was directly in front of me.

"What the-" I heard everyone give different levels of amazement and shock as every different monster was absorbed into it; I took a deep breath and readied my blade as the demons came out of the vortex and I slashed wildly taking every one of them out until none of them remained. Once the portals were gone I fell to my knees, dropping my blade and feeling my body go limp and my bones ache all over as the empty grounds filled with the sound of wind passing by my ears.

"What was that!?" Laharl said in amazement as he and the rest of the group circled around me.

"It's like when he opened the portal back at the castle." Etna pointed out, "He tore open two portals and funneled them through it until there wasn't a single demon left."

"I've never seen anything like it." Flonne added as I felt my vision start to blur and my body fell forward.

"Owen…" Gemi and Nini moved over to me and helped me onto my feet as Sukia grabbed my sword and shield.

"…Your body is pulsing with your heartbeat." Nini pointed out with her hand on my chest.

"I'll be fine," I replied pushing them off and standing up, "I just need a minute."

"Owen, just take a breather." Sukia asked grabbing my shoulder. I brushed her off and moved kept walking; I don't have time to wait…something could be hurting her right now and I'll be damned if I'm going to just sit by while she's in danger!

Nina

I shook my head and looked around in surprise; I was in my room back home, my desk still had the book I was writing, open to the page I was working on…even on the same sentence I had to stop abruptly before heading to school. I took a seat on my bed and tested the bed spring before flopping backwards and giving a long content sigh.

"I never thought I would miss this bed so much but after sleeping on that military style bed I really missed it." I took a deep inhale and wrapped myself in my luxurious covers…this actually felt better than it did any time before.

"Nina?" I rose from my bed and looked at my door as the doorknob turned and my father came in through the doorway, "Are you okay dear?"

"Yes father." I replied as he sat down next to me, "I…I think I was just having a bad dream." He chuckled and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Maybe no more yogurt before bed."

"Yeah…probably." I replied. I sat there for a moment and felt my head hurt slightly, "N-No! This isn't right." I stood up and moved out the door into the hallway. I looked down each end of the hall finding everything to be exactly like I remember it; from the family pictures to the expensive looking vase on the end table. Rounding the vase I looked down the long stairs to the entryway; at the end of the stairs was my mother who looked up at me with a confused look; it made sense considering how panicked I was.

"Honey are you okay?" She asked as I came down the stairs. I moved out to grab her and recoiled back before I got close keeping my hands to myself, "What's wrong?"

"This…this isn't right! It's not how it's supposed to be." I replied taking another few steps back before hitting something. I looked behind me to see my father standing there.

"But…isn't it how it SHOULD be?" As he said that I felt something telling me that this wasn't…or was right…I…I wanted this.

"Y-Y…Yeah…"

Owen

We continued on towards the tower at a quick pace and I kept my eyes glued to the top; the moon had its light concentrated into a beam at the top and upon closer inspection I could see tiny orbs floating up on the light towards the moon. I suddenly bumped into Sukia as she stopped abruptly along with the rest of the group. I looked towards the front to see Laharl had turned around and was looking at Flonne with an intense stare.

"Hey love freak?"

"Hm?" Flonne replied.

"Are you sure you didn't see anything last night?" I watched as Flonne's expression changed from her usual vacant air head look to an angry look, "You've been acting weird since this morning."

"I don't know anything. But even if I did, I wouldn't tell YOU!" She yelled making all of gasp.

"What!?"

"Prince Laharl, I have a name, and it's Flonne. It's not 'Hey' or 'You' it's FLONNE!"

"Or 'Love Freak'" Gemi chimed in.

"Or 'Angel girl'" Nini added and Sukia put her hands over their mouths.

"Maybe now isn't the best time for this." She said dragging them away from the conversation before Flonne continued.

"You have never called me by name, not even once, since the first time we met!"

"S-So!? Who cares what I call you!?"

"I DO!" She screamed making me and Etna step back in fear, "People's feelings are delicate. They can be hurt by just the slightest insult." That…That's true…, "Laharl, you are too inconsiderate. You should approach people with more love. The prinnies ran away because you have no love!" Suddenly Laharl's aura flared up as Flonne stood her ground.

"YOU STUPID LOVE FREAK! WHO DO YOU THINK-"

"There! That's the attitude I'm talking about!" She stomped the ground, "You'll never become a respected overlord that way!" With that she walked away from Laharl and passed by us to Sukia and the twins.

"Grrrrrrr! Stupid girl! I'm not talking to you anymore!" Laharl stomped the ground and I felt the ground shift slightly as he stomped forward.

"Did you really need to piss him off Flonne?" Etna asked.

"He needed to hear it!" She stated bluntly.

"Doesn't matter anyway." I said, "Let's just keep moving." Before I could even take another step a demon popped out of the ground and took a swing at me. I quickly took a back step and drew my blade slashing through it and watching as it vanished, "Heads up! We've got company!" The snow around us seemed to lift off the ground as various demons popped out and lunged at us. I swung at the nearest one and slid over near the twins providing back-up as they systematically took out each of the demons in our path. As soon as we had finished up with the group another seemed to pop up right where they had.

"Damn, there's no end to these freaks." Etna said as we all backed into a circle formation.

"They really don't want us to get through do they?" Flonne asked.

"This place is for lost souls to be reborn-" Gemi started.

"-and reapers to send them to their next life." Nini finished as Sukia pulled out a large scythe from nowhere.

"Then I guess it's time to prove my credentials as a reaper!" She said in a cocky manner before extending her wings and taking off into the air. We watched as she held her scythe out and flew in a circle around the demons slicing them all in half. As another popped out of the snow she whipped backwards sending her weapon flying an making the blade stick into the demon before she grabbed it and swung up slicing it apart before it vanished, "I think that's good enough." As she twirled the weapon in her hand another group appeared.

"They might disagree." Laharl said. I felt my blood boil and my hands tense as these stupid demons kept popping up like flies…and I don't let flies get in my way!

"Get out of our way!" I yelled as I swung at the air creating another red tear; I passed by it and slashed along the ground around us and watched as it sucked in our entire demon enemies. Moving back to the first tear I held my blade out and swung at every single demon that passed through it until none were left making both portals disappear as I fell into my butt panting heavily, "There…let's keep…moving." Standing up I moved to pick up my weapons before Sukia suddenly scooped it up, "What are you doing? I need those."

"What do you think you're doing!?" She suddenly yelled.

"Stopping the hordes of idiots and keeping us moving!"

"Really? Because all I'm seeing is a big temper tantrum from where I'm standing! You know using that is dangerous! The last time you used it you were completely wiped and that wasn't even a full hour ago!"

"So what!? I'm completely fine!" She walked up to me and slapped me across the face; as her hand collided with my face I felt something move down my cheek and swiped my hand over it before looking to see blood on my hand, "What the hell!?"

"You know what that is!? A popped blood vessel in your eye!" What? I popped a blood vessel?

"How the hell did it pop?"

"Strain." The twins said, "Your body is under too much tension."

"It's from opening those portals!" Sukia said, "Every time you open one you slash wildly putting a strain on you mentally and physically!" Rubbing my eye I looked back at Sukia.

"I'll deal with it later."

"NO! You'll deal with it now!"

"We don't have time to deal with it now! Nina is in trouble!"

"And you won't get to her if you're dead! Which is what you will be if you don't calm down right now!" What the hell was she spouting? I'm completely…completely…ow! I felt my body suddenly jolt with pain and collapsed to my knees, "See!? Your body is even telling you to take it easy!"

"But Nina-"

"Isn't going to like it if you show up in such a hellish state!" Damn…she had a point, "Owen…please, take a deep breath and pace yourself. We're going to save her. I promise you that all of us are going to work our hardest to get her back…okay?" But…no…I have to trust them to help me out. I took a deep breath and stood up before giving Sukia a nod, "Good, I don't want to lose you to yourself…she'd never forgive me."

"Sukia…thanks." She sighed before bonking me on the head.

"Seriously, you're way too rash sometimes."

"I'm guessing you know a thing or two about rashes." She giggled slightly.

"That's better…but from how rank you smell I'm going to say you're the rash expert."

"Hey!" We chuckled before both looking back at the tower, "…Ready to keep moving?"

"Yeah, we're almost there." …I really hope Nina is alright.

Nina

I shook for a moment to regain my senses and looked around finding myself in my classroom at school this time; all of my classmates were sitting around me as our homeroom teacher talked about the book we had been reading in class, Freak the Mighty, and discussing the first few chapters. Before I could even listen in the bell suddenly rang and everyone got up from their seats and started moving out of the classroom.

"Alright, everyone enjoy your lunches. We'll continue our discussion tomorrow." With a sigh I reached for my bag and was surprised to see three shadows looming over me. I looked up to see three girls looking down at my desk.

"Ah…um…I don't have any lunch money for you today…all I have is a bagged lunch."

"What? We don't want your lunch money." Huh?

"Y-You don't?" The giggled before the center girl outstretched her hand.

"We were wondering if you would like to have lunch with us."

"Really? Well…" No…this isn't right either, "Wait…you never ask me to have lunch with you…you always take my money and then walk away…none of this is right!"

"But…shouldn't it be?" That feeling…it's happening again.

"Y-Yeah…it should be."

Owen

As Laharl stomped forward we all kept about ten feet back; in his rage induced state he was backhanding every demon that we came across like it was nothing…poor bastards.

"Man you really pissed him off Flonne." I said looking back at her.

"He's angrier than when Etna stole his favorite desert." Gemi said.

"Or when Owen found some of those candid photographs from the Maderas incident." Nini added and I sighed.

"Couldn't even keep one. He found them all." I said sadly.

"Well he's been such a pain. Someone had to tell him off." Flonne said in a huff. This was the most pissed off I've ever seen her…and I expected her to be the more gentle of the group.

"Women are scary." Gemi nodded in agreement and Sukia chuckled darkly.

"You have no idea. I bet if you pissed off Nina she would go serial killer on you."

"No, Nina is too kind for that…I think."

"Hesitation is apparent in your voice." Nini said bluntly.

"You don't have to say it out loud you know." I looked over at the prince to see he was still fuming…quite literally. I wonder why he didn't just humor her…he didn't have to mean it but he could have just gone along with it.

"Hey Etna, why is Laharl so stubborn?" Flonne asked.

"…Are you kidding?" She replied, "He's always been that way."

"That can't be true."

"Better believe it Flonne."

"But I thought he had finally opened up to the power of love." Oh this poor girl.

"Is that why you were so pissed? He's a demon Flonne." I said, "Love isn't in their dictionaries."

"That can't be true."

"Ninety percent of all Netherworld dictionaries have had the word 'love' removed." Gemi stated.

"Most copies with it were burned and the publicist along with them." Nini added making Flonne shiver slightly. This place is ruthless.

"Don't you think asking for love from a demon is a bit ridiculous?" Etna asked.

"You think so?"

"Well…the prince is a unique case." What did she mean?

"Unique?"

"Yep, his mother, the queen, was a bit of an eccentric women. Always going on about love and kindness…made me a bit sick honestly."

"That's not weird."

"Well, for a human I guess not. I didn't hate her or anything though."

"Wait, back up…Laharl's mother was a human?" I asked in surprise.

"Yep, she was a witch who came here to study."

"Now that seems weird." Sukia added.

"The king fell in love with her at first sight, yadda yadda yadda then the prince was born."

"Glossing over something there Etna?" I asked and she rolled her eyes.

"Nothing important. Anyway, she was always saying things like, 'demons can love too' and optimistic crap like that. Whenever the prince did something bad she would scold him so he would grow up to be a kind person…maybe that's why he has a problem with you. You remind him of his mother."

"…So…what happened to his mother?" I asked and Etna's face turned gloomy.

"…She died. A long time ago the prince was infected with a disease not even the king could cure…the only way to save him…was the life of someone who loved him." !, "So she took her own life…despite the kings best efforts to stop her. It was then that the prince began to hate love and kindness…"

"If that happens to someone you love…then it feels like you never should have loved them in the first place." I said feeling a dreariness shadow me from her story.

"Exactly…but it won't just fade away…it's like a scar that doesn't heal…maybe you were a bit rough on him today Flonne." Flonne gave a sharp gasp and a look of pure panicked was on her face.

"He's going to kill you-" Gemi said.

"And use your wings for decorations in his trophy room." Nini finished.

"You two aren't helping!" I yelled hitting them on their heads. We came to another stop as Laharl was directly in front of the tower.

"…We're here."

We climbed the tower in silence until we came to the very top where small orbs were rising into the sky.

"What are those?"

"Those are the souls of prinnies who have atoned for their sins." I looked over to see a red prinny standing next to me, "The red moon washes away their sins so they can be reborn." At the top of the stairs I was shocked to see Nina standing there with a vacant expression on her face.

"Nina!"

"Etna stop those souls!" Laharl and I ran up the stairs as fast as we could and once we reached to top I felt a chill go down my spine.

"…Wait…"

"Who said that!?" I asked looking around franticly. Suddenly a specter in a black cloak faded into existence in front of us.

"Take…prinnies' souls…to red moon." It spoke in a hoarse manner that almost made me back away in fear…ALMOST.

"Well that girl isn't a prinny! I'm taking her back!" As I took a step forward suddenly a scythe struck the ground in front of me.

"No one…interfere!" The scythe levitated into the air before floating next to the specter.

"We'll see about that!" Laharl yelled, "The prinnies and that girl are my vassals. For all eternity!" We drew our weapons before leaping forward and swinging at the specter as it blocked with its scythe.

"…Purity…"

"What?" I asked before it pushed us back and outstretched its hand towards me.

"…You…are not allowed…here." Suddenly I felt my body twitch uncontrollably…my mind seemed to shut off…and thousands upon millions of horrible deeds filled my mind.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Nina

This time I was standing in a black room with a door at the far end; it was a simple door with a wood frame and brass knob…but it felt like the most important door in the world…and I should go towards it. I stepped forward until I was standing in front of it and placed my hand on the knob as a feeling of clarity and peace washed over me, I turned the knob slowly-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" That scream…that's Owen's voice! I wretched my hand from the knob and backed up quickly as I gripped my head trying to keep my mind together.

"None of this is right! My parents, my school; all of it is wrong…but that scream…that scream is the most wrong of it all! I'm not letting it go on for another moment longer!" I screamed into the darkness with all my might and watched as the façade cracked and shattered until I was standing on top of a tower and in front of me was a specter in a cloak and Owen on his knees and clutching his head as he screamed in terror and insanity. Dropping down I wrapped my arms around him and stopped his flailing, "Owen, please…stay together…I'm here…everything is fine." I brushed his hair as he slowly calmed down before looking up at me with tears in his eyes.

"N…Nina…"

"…Sinful soul…" I looked behind me and suddenly froze as he stretched his hand out towards me.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" Owen broke from my hands and swung at the specter slashing it in two before it collapsed to the ground…but it didn't vanish…it was dead this time.

Owen

As my mind came back to me I looked to see I was clutching my sword and before me was the specter sliced in two…but it didn't vanish…what happened?

"Owen?" I looked to see Nina and the others looking at me in shock.

"What…what happened?" I asked and everyone stayed silent until Nina finally spoke.

"You…You killed it." I…I killed it…

"…Come on." Laharl said stepping towards the prinnies, "We need to grab the prinnies." Suddenly another specter appeared, this time in a dark green robe.

"Why…do you interfere…with work?"

"Work?" He asked.

"That's right." The red prinny chimed in, "You shouldn't interfere with deaths work dood."

"That…that was death!?" I asked in horror as I looked down at the body, "I…I killed death?"

"…One of them. They are here to guide the souls of prinnies to the red moon. If you have any love for them, then you will wish them good luck dood."

"Hmph, you sound just like that love freak…is…is it really best for their sake?" Laharl asked his expression softened.

"Yes."

"…I see…then I'll let them go."

"You understand now?"

"…Yeah…"

"Then…I can move on without worry." We watched as the prinny walked towards the reaper slowly.

"Wait!" Flonne cried out, "What…what sin did you commit?"

"…I took my own life." What!? Then…is that-, "Taking your own life is a grave sin."

"Why would you?"

"…To save my son's life." I looked over at Laharl to see a look of pure shock overtake his face, "Because of my death, my son shut away his feelings…but, he's changing ever so slowly now…and it's all thanks to the wonderful people around him…my work here is done. The rest is up to my son." As they all began to walk away I saw Laharl walk forward ever so slightly and reach out his shaking hand.

"You're just going to leave? Not even a goodbye!? Despite how much you love him!?"

"…What cruel words you speak." ?, "Of course I would like to reveal myself. Of course I would like to hug my son with my own hands…but if we are destined to part again, then wouldn't it be better to watch from afar and leave without a single word? He has suffered enough already…my silence is how I show my love."

"…I'm sorry…I understand why you would do his…sorry for pushing my beliefs on you…" The red prinny giggled.

"Prince, you've met a wonderful person, dood. Flonne, Etna, Owen, Sukia, Gemi, Nini and Nina…please take care of the prince for me…look out for him." We all took a step forward as they did the same, "…Goodbye." We watched in amazement as a white orb moved out the prinnies mouths and took off into the air.

"Ah!" As the red prinnies orb took off Laharl stepped forward and reached for it as it took off into the sky. I looked over at the reaper who laid dead by my hands and felt a sadness wash over me before the body turned into a black smoke and rushed at me before disappearing into me. I felt a sharp pain on my heart and looked to see a black X across my chest.

"Death's mark." Sukia said, "Those who have killed a death are marked by it…it is their sin to bear. Some say it brings you to death quicker than others." So…this is my sin to bear…my first sin…

"…Love huh?" Laharl said his eyes glued to the moon as its reflection showed in his watery eyes.

"What is it?" Flonne asked and as he blinked the red moons reflection disappeared completely.

"Nothing…let's go back to the castle…Flonne."

"Laharl…"

As the prinnies souls took off towards the sky I watched in awe and sadness as they peacefully moved through the night sky; watching them I felt my heart grow heavy…is this what it feels like to watch those you care about pass on? Feeling something in my hand I looked to see Nina had entwined her fingers with mine and was gripping tightly.

"…Thank you for coming to save me…I'm sorry you had to kill that reaper because of me."

"Don't be…I wouldn't have done it a hundred times to get you back."

"Owen…" I looked back up at the sky and my eyes focused in on the soul of the red prinny…the mother who gave her life for her son.

"…I'm not ready to see you go yet…not now and not ever."

"…Thank you Owen…I'm not going anywhere…I promise." We watched as the spirits passed from this world and I gripped Nina's hand never wanting to let go.


	14. Power

"Damn it!" I slid down the hallway after the twins as they ducked and weaved through various people and knocked over boxes as I chased after them, "Get back here with that Meatopia Chocolate bar you little thieves!" I dived at them extending my hands and gripped at air as the suddenly made a hard turn sending me crashing into the weapon stand, "That chocolate isn't easy to find here you know! I had to go to three different shops and bribe someone just to get that!" Standing back up I looked to see they both had stopped and looked at me before running towards the throne room. Standing up I rushed after them and rushed up the stairs two steps at a time and gripped tightly at Gemi's shirt collar, "Gotcha! Now hand over the chocolate!"

"Don't have it." He replied with a devious smile holding his empty hands up.

"Damn it…stop taking after Sukia!"

"Pranks are fun." Nini said at the top of the stairs before rushing into the entryway.

"Seriously!? That's the one fun thing you guys had to pick up on!? Why not knitting or even video games!?" Putting Gemi down I rushed after Nini. As I entered the throne room I looked to see Nini handing the chocolate bar to Etna while Sukia stood by and pat her head.

"Good job, your first step is a very good start." Sukia said rubbing Nini's head as I stomped up and grabbed the bar from Etna's hand.

"Hey, that's mine!"

"No it's not! It's mine! Also, stop corrupting the twins!"

"We're just teaching them to have a little fun is all." Etna said as her tail waved behind her.

"Yeah, corrupting the youth sounds 'super' fun."

"What are you all doing in my throne room?" Laharl asked stepping out from his room, "…wait…do I smell Meatopia chocolate?" Quickly placing the bar in my back pocket I looked at Laharl putting on my best poker face.

"…No…" He glared at me before moving his scarf over and fishing the bar out of my pocket, "Hey!"

"Hiding this from your Overlord, I should take away your meals! …Where did you find this?"

"It took a lot of hunting and I refuse to share it with selfish brats, bad influences or little thieves!" I said grabbing the bar and looking at everyone in respective order, "I'm not giving any of you even a piece!" Suddenly Lahar's aura flared to life as he gave me a scowl.

"You want to re-think that little statement!?"

"What's going on here?" I turned around to see Nina and Flonne standing there with a worried look on their faces.

"N-Nothing…just a little spat is all." I said trying to defuse the tension before feeling someone grab at the chocolate, "Hey! Let go!"

"No! You get none! You're overlord demands it!"

"I don't see an overlord in front of me, just a scrawny little brat with a stupid face!" I retorted pulling back.

"Um…maybe you could share?" Flonne offered and we both looked at her. Taking the chance I wretched the chocolate out of Laharl's grasp.

"Well I was going to share it with Nina at least, then everyone else decided to butt in."

"Well then-" Nina pulled the bar out of my hand and started splitting it into equal pieces, "-let's share it with everyone." I watched as she handed a piece to everyone and then handed the last piece to me.

"…Fine…but only because you decided it." I said taking the piece from her and giving her a smile that she returned.

"Any reason you went hunting for such rare chocolate?"

"Well…I wanted to give you something really special…I know things haven't exactly been easy so…I wanted to give you something special." I replied feeling my face heat up intensely.

"…Thanks…it means a lot to know you thinking of me." She replied quietly.

"Such a lovely aroma you two create." Sukia said interjecting and I quickly struck her on the back of the neck sending her crashing to the floor.

"Which you ruin constantly!" I yelled at her.

"Owen?" Nina said pulling my attention back to her.

"Yeah?"

"…I want to talk to you about something…would you mind if we talked in private?" Really?

"Sure. Let's go somewhere else."

"Overlord Laharl!" Before we could even move a prinny came rushing into the throne room and move directly for Laharl, "There are strange anomalies in the Stellar Graveyard."

"Could it be angels from Celestia coming to find me!?" Flonne asked sounding worried.

"Haven't you been here for a few months now?" Gemi asked.

"The odds are they gave up on you a while back." Nini added making Flonne sulk.

"Besides everything strange crashes there." Etna said, "UFOs, space probes, brain suckers, midgets with glowing fingers." So he never made it back home…oh well, he's probably dead now.

"Oh my! That means there may be people who are hurt!" Flonne said getting that worried look on her face, "We have to get over there."

"No way. It's probably just a piece of trash." Laharl replied.

"Laharl!"

"Fine, fine…we'll go check it out." As he stood form his throne and walked past me I gave him a whip sound effect as he walked by, "Shut it you!" I looked back at Nina and motioned to go somewhere else she shook her head.

"We can talk about it later." As she walked away I wondered what was important enough for her to want to talk in private; she shared most of herself with the group so it's weird to think she had things to hide.

Stepping through the portal I stepped onto the ground and immediately heard a crunch beneath my feet.

"What the hell?" I looked down to see I had stepped on a strange tiny metal ship…thing…, "What's this?"

"It looks like a tiny ship." Gemi answered grabbing it from my hand, "…It even has an inside."

"Well…had an inside." Nini added shaking it and a small rattling could be heard.

"Wow…it's beautiful." I looked behind me to see Nina, Sukia and Flonne all staring at the sky with wide eyes and big smiles. I looked up to see a lake of stars stretching out across the sky and twinkling brightly as a few even shot off into the distance.

"It's like a prom night hilltop meeting place view…it's sooooo beautiful." Flonne said wistfully.

"Ahh prom…filled with more passion than any other night." Sukia said, "Just young adolescents pent up on hormones in the back of a car getting more than a little grabby-"

"Okay, that's enough out of you." I said slapping a 'NO' sticker over her mouth, "Seriously, all you spout is innuendos…sometimes less subtle than we'd like them to be. So now you stay silent." She quickly inhaled the sticker before chewing it up and spitting it back in my face.

"It is nice though…I'd like to have my first love confession be under a sky this beautiful." Sukia finished as her tail waved slowly.

"All it needs is some perfect music and the mood is just right for a girl to pour her heart out in emotional depth…I want a love like that." Nina said softly with a long content sigh.

"Me too." Flonne said placing her right hand on her cheek, "A nice date, loving poetry, a beautiful night encapsulated by romantic music…ahhh."

"Oh…your all just so romantic…I could just choke you all!" Etna said approaching them before closing her hands around Flonne's throat breaking the silence as she tensed her hands.

"Etna…y-you're actually…choking…me…" Flonne gasped out in between Etna's shaking.

"…Well that broke the moment." I said as Laharl gave a sigh.

"Knock it off!" Etna pulled her hands back and Flonne bent over and gripped her knees as she gasped for air, "We don't have time for this romantic schlep. Let's get moving." As everyone began walking Nina and I helped Flonne back up and I looked back to see Nini staring at the sky.

"…Any romances you want Nini?" I asked and she thought for a moment before her cheeks turned slightly pink.

"…A few…" I chuckled at her embarrassment and rubbed her head before we followed up on the group.

As we walked through the graveyard we came across various other demons all scavenging various pieces of debris and junk that was around the area; the few that decided to try robbing us met with an unfortunate end to their trip.

"Winged Slayer!"

"Mega Fire!

"Thunderbolt!"

"Dual slash!" As the last demon faded away we all sheathed our weapons and continued walking…this was getting boring.

"Hey Laharl, how much farther?" I asked.

"How should I know!? We don't even know what we're looking for." He retorted, "…Hang on…I hear something…sounds like a woman's voice." I stopped and put my ear to the sky trying to pick it up.

"…OH SH…RUN, RU…UN!" What the- that sounds like a mechanical voice. As we rounded the corner Laharl and I looked around in confusion at how empty the area was.

"That's strange…I could have sworn I heard voices coming from over here." Before I could even reply we watched as a woman's head popped out from behind a rock.

"What? Human children in the Netherworld!?"

"Huh…you weren't wrong." I retorted as she jumped over the rock and- SWEET JESUS IN HELL!

"Agh!" Laharl collapsed to the ground suddenly clutching his chest as I stood dumfounded by her bare minimum style of clothing and fell to the ground clutching…well, something else.

"No fair! She gets to do that!?" Sukia complained pointing at the woman as Nina and Flonne helped me and Laharl back up.

"You children must have been kidnapped by the overlord. I hear demons are merciless, even towards children!" She approached us with a worried look on her face and I watched as Laharl moved behind Flonne using her as a shield, "You poor things…they didn't bite your arms off did they!? They didn't suck your brains out did they!? They didn't anal probe you did they!?"

"What the hell does she think demons are?" Etna asked dumfounded.

"Aliens from the sound of it." Nina replied looking equally disturbed.

"Well don't worry, big sis will make everything better." Suddenly I heard a gurgling sound behind me and looked to see Sukia with a hungry look and drool on her lip.

"I love it…" Kicking her to the ground I gave a sigh and turned back to Jennifer.

"Get away from me!" Laharl screeched stumbling backwards as the woman gave him a confused look, "Keep your sexy body away from me!"

"Ah! Oh I see, you're going through puberty aren't you?" Oh no, this is just getting worse by the second, "Don't be embarrassed little boy. Everyone goes through that period." She suddenly whistled and a trash can rolled over to her from behind the rock; she reached inside before pulling out a book which had the title, 'What is happening to my body' and opening it up, "You see, as young girls mature their breast grow bigger and boys…" As she rambled on I shook my head and looked over to see Nina with a bright red color flowing across her face.

"Something wrong Nina?" I asked and she jumped slightly.

"I-I-I-I just never heard it splayed out in medical terms before…makes it sound much filthier than normal."

"Yeah…science words will do that."

"So will the word 'moist'." Gemi said and Nina shivered.

"Please don't use that word."

"What word…moist?" Nini asked and she shivered again. I quickly struck both of them on the head.

"I swear to god you two better not make a habit out of this! I could do with less pranksters in my life thank you!" I looked back at the woman who was still talking Laharl through sex education as he seemed ready to collapse to the floor and die, "Excuse me?" I said catching her attention, "They aren't human children and we're seventeen…I think." I turned to Nina who nodded, "Yeah, we're seventeen. This isn't necessary."

"Huh?" She said confused and I motioned to Flonne and Etna.

"I am Flonne, an angel in training. This is Etna, a demon-" Flonne crouched and pat Laharl on the back as he groaned, "-and the one you called 'cute little boy' is the overlord Laharl." As soon as she finished Laharl suddenly upchucked making Flonne jump back.

"Though from looks alone you wouldn't guess it." Sukia said and I chuckled. The woman stood there blank faced before changing to pure shock.

"This is outrageous! I can't believe such a cute little boy can be the overlord!" She turned around and started to fidget in place, "This is completely different from the information provided at headquarters," She turned to the trashcan, "what's going on Thursday?" As it started to buzz and make noises I took a step back in shock.

"BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…NOW CALCULATING, NOW CALCULATING…"

"Jesus…it's like the Science Fiction club came to life." I said offhandedly

"NOW CALCULATING, NOW CALCULATING…"

"…It kind of looks like that weird robot from the Doctor show." Nina added.

"Yeah the…Dal-something." I said trying to remember the name.

"CALCULATION COMPLETE."

"What's the answer?" The woman asked

"HEADQUARTERS IS A BUNCH OF LIARS."

"That's probably the right answer." I said and the twins nodded in agreement.

"Oh no! Does that mean that the overlord planning to invade Earth is a lie too!?" I found myself laughing uncontrollably at this statement making everyone turn to me.

"AHHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA! Oh man…no…Laharl's biggest plots usually involve stomping around like a child and stealing food from the fridge."

"I may be weakened …but I can still kick your ass Owen." Laharl said trying to get up.

"We were sent to slay the overlord…there must be some misunderstanding." The woman said with a look of deep thought.

"Wait…did I hear you say you came here to slay the overlord?" Laharl asked finally back on his feet.

"Ah, n-n-n-no, no not me. That's the responsibility of our hero. Captain Gordon, the defender of Earth. I'm his assistant, Jennifer and this is Thursday, the multi-purpose super robot."

"BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…NICE TO MEET YOU." I moved forward and extended its…well…claw-hand thing and I shook it.

"Huh…expected more terminator and less…trashcan."

"It looks neat." Nina said rubbing the top of it, "I'm Nina, and this is Owen."

"THANK YOU FOR THE COMPLIMENT…"

"This is Sukia and the Gemini twins, Gemi and Nini."

"IT IS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU…"

"…Hero you say?" Laharl said making all of us turn to him.

"Yes, Captain Gordon is the Earth's hero. His noble mission is to vanquish any evil that threatens the Earth." Jennifer answered dramatically, "…but we were separated from him when our spaceship crashed."

"Everyone's gotta have a hobby I guess." I said and Nina hit me on the arm.

"Don't be rude. Heroes are extremely important!" She said.

"That sense of altruism is a bit too conceited for me to swallow though."

"Hmhmhm…" Laharl began to chuckle, "Very interesting. I must definetly meet this Captain Gordon!"

"Why is that?" Flonne asked.

"It is an overlord's duty to challenge heroes!"

"Actually that's for villains." Nina pointed out and I looked over at her confused.

"Wow! Cool!" Flonne said with wide eyes and a big smile.

"Woman, follow me! I shall find your hero!" Laharl said confidently.

"Really?" Jennifer asked leaning in making Laharl step back quickly.

"But, I don't want that body of yours within a three-foot radius of me!" She giggled in response.

"As you wish. Now, let's go look for Gordon!" As everyone began to march I gave a long sigh; was there really nothing else to do today?

We continued to move through the piles of junk that scattered all over the place and in the distance I could see items falling from the ground and crashing into the distance; it was interesting to see shooting stars up close…in fact…

"Hey Sukia take a step to the left." I said and she did as a tiny object whirled through where she was just standing and crashed into a nearby pile of debris.

"This place is dangerous." Flonne said scanning the sky.

"Well it is a magnet for anything looking to crash." Etna explained, "Anything and everything weird can show up here."

"I found space food." Gemi said holding up a weird gray food tube.

"It takes like turkey." Nini added.

"That food is old. Don't eat it." Nina said.

"It's space food, it expires after a humans lifespan."

"Even so, don't eat weird things."

"Yes ma'am." They replied in unison…I remember a few weeks ago I hated this useless dialogue exchange...it's not so bad when I like the people I'm talking with.

"BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP. THIRTY PERCENT PROTEIN SUBSTITUTE, TWENTY PERCENT STARCH CREAM, FIFTY PERCENT PROCESSED SOYLENT GREEN." …Soylent green…

"Stop eating that." I said tossing the tube into the nearby battery acid pond and watching as it was dissolved into a bubbling pink mass, "A lot of downed space crafts."

"More electrical than I was expecting though." Nina said, "It's like a bad message on global warming."

"Humans are foolish creatures." Laharl said stepping up, "They foolishly pollute their planet and look at the mess they leave behind here."

"So…you're really not plotting to invade the Earth?" Jennifer asked and Laharl sighed.

"I don't want that useless piece of trash. It's not even worth it."

"Well…it's home for us. That's why Gordon and I risk our lives to protect it." Earth…I wonder if they're from our Earth, "I always believed that was the right thing to do…but I'm not sure what to believe in now."

"The Earth is full of jerks." I stated bluntly, "People looking to step on each other to get whatever they want…it's a horrible place."

"The only way to survive…is to keep your head down." Nina added.

"That can't be true…I know a lot of wonderful people on Earth, they sent us to save the planet. Don't you know people like that?" As soon as she said that my mind drifted to that boy I met and his three friends…what am I thinking?

"No…not at all." I replied.

"…Only a few…and I never met them." Nina said; wait…never met them but she knows good people…how is that possible?

"Well I don't want to think my fellow Earthlings are lying to me…but Harlie doesn't seem like he's lying either."

"What makes you think I'm not lying? I AM a demon after all." Laharl said with a cocky grin.

"You're eyes tell me your being truthful; they're pure." Pure…, "I can't tell if it's pure good or pure evil though." She finished with a small chuckle and Laharl turned slightly red.

"Hmph! Nonsense."

"Well we'd better find Gordon and figure this whole mess out."

"From what I can tell it seems like just misinformation." Sukia said, "Just some stupid demon talking like an idiot and another idiot human catching them at the wrong time."

"So just another day?" Nini asked and Sukia nodded.

"Exactly."

"We should still check in case it becomes bigger than that." Jennifer said.

"Yeah, if we don't act quickly then a full blown war between the Earth and the Netherworld could break out. We have to prevent that." Flonne said.

"Why, it'll be fun!" Etna said.

"Etna!"

"Yeah, yeah…it's no fun with you serious types."

"Some jokes are just in bad taste Etna." Nina pointed out. Hearing footsteps I looked behind me to see scavenging demons approaching us with weapons.

"And here I thought it was going to be boring." I commented pulling out my sword and shield.

Halfway through the fight I found myself facing down a Valkyrie on top of a heap as she was actually handling herself pretty well against me. She took a swipe and I jumped back sliding down the pile slightly.

"Gah…is this junk really worth killing us?" I asked regaining my footing.

"Actually it's trespassing." She said reaching into the pile and pulling out another sword, "We live here!" She took a thrust at me with one blade and slashed with the other making me stumble backwards.

"You live here? Why?"

"Because there is nowhere else to live for us."

"Even so-" Reaching into the pile I gripped at something cylindrical and pulled it out to reveal a led pipe, "-don't start fights you can't finish!" Throwing it I watched as it hit her head dazing her before I rushed in and thrust at her center taking her out in a puff of smoke, "Living here…makes sense for degenerates." I felt my feet give way slightly making me fall forward; as I hit the pile I suddenly fell through into a black pit. When I finally landed I crashed into something soft making me bounce before settling in. Getting up I reached into my pocket and pulled out the flashlight turning it on; I shined it around to see even more piles of junk around every other pile. The pile under this place looked ten times worse than the surface…but what's that light in the distance.

"Owen!" I looked up at the hole to see Nina and Sukia looking down at me, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…just a little sore."

"Hang on, we can get you back up…eventually." I looked back at the light to see it slightly flickering.

"I'll find my own way out, keep going with Laharl and find that Gordon person. I can handle getting out of here."

"…Alright then…just be careful." Nina said stepping back from the hole.

"Try not to die." Sukia finished as she moved away. Turning back to the dim light I shinned my flashlight at it and walked forward.

Turning the corner I was surprised to find what looked like a small, rustic, garbage town; yet it looked lively and bustling…if not for a little hobo-ish. As I moved through the center everyone's eyes turned to me; some just looked wide eyed while others had their hand on a nearby weapon. Before I could even make it to the crudely made center square I stopped in my tracks as a blade stuck into the ground at my feet.

"Well I didn't expect this, but it makes the afternoon much more interesting." I turned to see a simple warrior walking towards me. Wait, I recognize those eyes…that's the shapeshifter!

"What the heck are you doing here!?" I reached for my sword strapped to my side and he hollered before changing into a creature wearing a black full body cloak.

"I'm glad you recognize me, now take your hand off your weapon." Moving back to a relaxed position I looked around to see I was being circled by other people, "Now everyone…back off!" Everyone else took a shaky step back; wow, he has a lot of influence here…or fear, "So…have you gotten stronger?"

"Don't pick a fight right now. I have to get back to the others."

"Well unfortunately for you, getting out of here is harder than you think." He stepped forward before pulling the blade out of the ground and slipping it into his cloak, "And I'm not feeling very hospitable at the moment…maybe after a battle I would feel more inclined to listen." Is he serious!?

"You really think I want to indulge your sick fantasy right now!?" He snapped his fingers and I looked to see I was being circled again.

"From what I can see, you don't have a choice." Damn…he's cornering me to fight him, but why me? Wouldn't he rather fight Nina?

"Fine…but I won't go easy on you!" He chuckled darkly.

"That's exactly what I'm expecting."

We walked down a dark path with our footsteps echo in the distance.

"Hey, why are you even here?" I asked breaking the silence.

"I live here, my home has been this place for as long as I've known." Really? That reminds me, I didn't see him listed as a demon in the book…wonder what's up with him.

"Hey, mind if I ask you something else?"

"I don't care, go ahead." Alright…

"Who summoned you?" He looked in my direction but I couldn't tell what face he was making under the cloak.

"…Nobody, I have no overlord and I like it that way."

"But- what? There's nothing about shapeshifters in the demon class directory…man, as a football player I put my muscles to shame." He chuckled before turning back and continuing to walk.

"Would you believe me if I said I was an alien?" I stopped in my tracks at that statement, "Or maybe just an experiment? As far as I know I was just a bubbling goop someone let out of a cylinder." Really? That backstory seems a bit…contradictory to his attitude.

"Then what's your obsession with power?"

"Answers aren't easy to come by; I realized that after my first year in the Netherworld. Money speaks for most demons; year two. Power is where truth lies…year three. I fought every strong demon I could find and became even more attuned to what I could do as a shapeshifter…it's the closest I've gotten to finding out who I am. The more I fight, the more I find out what I can do."

"So why me? You've fought me twice so far and ended up whipping me…or in our last case a draw."

"Exactly."

"What?"

"I find challenges exhilarating; to be pushed to my limit brings out more than I thought I could do. I find the challenge well worth it…it makes my blood boil and my senses become beastlike. I love every second of it." Primal and destructive is more like it…but still tactful, "That's why I want to fight you, every time I see you that powerful aura has grown and as of right now, it's ripe." He licked his lips and I felt goosebumps shoot of like bullets, "We're here." I stopped and looked to see we were in a large open area; the light of the stars was shining down over us brilliantly; it was like the light was specifically made for this stage, "Now-" He turned to me and pulled out his short sword, "-let us begin."

As he rushed at me I pulled out my shield and made a quick block before dropping to the floor and sweeping his leg out from under him. Pulling my sword out I went for the stab as he raised his arms; I watched as his skin extended before wrapping around my blade and wrenching it from my hand before he swung his arm sending it flying. I took a back step as he thrust at me and threw my shield at the shapeshifter making him duck as I moved in and twisted his arm making him drop his weapon; I followed up with a punch to his face making him tumble to the ground.

"Hahahahahahahaha! This fighting style is so ruthless, so animalistic. Killing someone with a weapon is so simple, it never feels like this…it's amazing." As he got back up his hands seem to grow claws; he gave out a large breath that made me take a step back, "I've never had this happen before…humans are interesting creatures. Let's keep going."

"Hang on, I-" He swung his claws making me jump back and forcing me to dodge as he kept swinging both his hand; damn, he's too quick with those claws for me to do anything. On his next strike I slid to the ground and grabbed his wrists before twisting them behind his back, "Are you done?"

"…I don't think so." Suddenly his back rippled and two more arms came jutting out and socked me in the jaw making me let go and stumble to the ground, "Owen…you are an interesting person…let's keep going."

"NO!" I quickly grabbed my blade from the ground and hacked his extra warms away before pinning him to the ground, "I beat you; now let me go!" He chuckled before wings sprouted from his back.

"Very well. Hold on." He stood up as I gripped his back and took off into the air; I stayed glued to his back until he landed a few minutes later. Looking around I was surprised to find we were standing just behind Laharl and the group.

"What the-"

"Here are your friends." Nina, Sukia and the twins turned around and gasped as they saw me.

"Owen!" Nina said rushing forward, "I- We were worried when you hadn't shown up quickly."

"Just her." The other three said in unison.

"Well…thanks for worrying. I'm okay though."

"That's good to hear." I looked over her shoulder at Laharl who was standing over a knocked out…is that that Gordon guy?

"What happened?"

"The prince beat up a human…and Flonne." Etna answered.

"I didn't mean it!" Flonne said defensively.

"Liar." The twins said.

"And now the Defender of Earth is my vassal!" Laharl said laughing maniacally, "Let this be a lesson that heroes don't always win!"

"That's a terrible lesson." Nina said.

"But an accurate one." I added making her punch me in the arm, "What!?"

"By the way, who is that?" She pointed to the shapeshifter and I found myself lost at how to explain it.

"This…is…the shapeshifter." Man…that sure wasn't any better than I was thinking.

"So…you're going to do a public execution?" Sukia asked, "You can borrow my scythe."

"No! Well…I don't know…probably not."

"Do you have a name?" Nina asked and the shapeshifter shook his head, "Are…Are you here to hurt us?"

"No, I only want to fight Owen." He answered, "Now, I shall be joining you." Wait…what?

"Wait…what?" I asked.

"I'm joining you. I want to see how you attained this strength and what changed from when I saw you in Porkmeister's manor to the confrontation with Maderas and now. I want to see how gum became sentient."

"…What does that mean?" Gemi asked.

"Worthless to worthwhile." Nini answered.

"Are you sure we can just let somebody who tried to kill us in the group?" Sukia asked and I gave her a narrow glare, "…Touché."

"The pot shouldn't call the kettle black." The twins said and Nina giggled.

"I taught them that." She said proudly patting their heads.

"That's better than Sukia." I commented making her giggle.

"We need a name to call the shapeshifter. Shapeshifter is a mouthful." Sukia said and the shapeshifter thought for a moment.

"…Armageddon." He said with a devilish smile. Ugh…well…um…

"No." We all said in unison.


	15. Nina

"Gordon! Wash my shorts!" I looked up from the T.V. to see Gordon dash by with ten pairs of shorts in his hand before tossing them into the washing machine, "Gordon! Clean my room!" He dashed by again with a broom and vacuum in his hands, "Gordon! Make me dinner!" I watched him dash by again before face planting into the rug in front of me.

"Grrr…this isn't fair! The defender of Earth shouldn't be reduced to manual labor!"

"Welcome to hell." I replied turning back to the latest episode of Netherworld Rangers; it was the rangers versus Power Gorilla but I knew that the gorilla was going to fall faster than King Kong off that skyscraper…I've watched more junk T.V. than I expected to in these past months.

"What are you watching Owen?" I looked behind me to see Nina walking up to me.

"New episode of Netherworld Rangers."

"I thought you didn't like it? Isn't it too repetitive for you?" Nina sat cross legged behind me and reached for the remote.

"Yeah but Flonne set the TiVo for it…damn her and her superhero obsession." Nina set the remote down and leaned forward onto my back.

"What are you two doing being so cozy?" We looked over to see Sukia hanging upside down in the air a few inches away from us.

"Enjoying life, what are you doing?"

"Teaching the twins how to hang from the ceiling." What? I looked up to see the twins on bungie cords and jumping from beam to beam.

"What the heck?"

"They're nimble." Nina commented. Suddenly Gemi bungeed down and I reeled back as he tried to slap me in the face.

"Seriously, stop teaching them this crap." I said as Sukia chuckled.

"Good morning everyone." All of us turned to see Jennifer approaching us…wait a minute…

"God damn it." Picking up my empty can of soda I hocked it at her face before she caught it and gave me a cold glare, "Change back you idiot." She chuckled before her form shifted into the shapeshifter.

"It's good to see your senses don't dull."

"Your eye color and shape is a constant you moron."

"Don't change into other people Shifty." Nina said and he grumbled before walking away.

"…He's weird." Sukia said landing next to us, "Shifty is a weird name too."

"Hey, all his suggestions were doomsday related; Shifty was the best option." I pointed out. The one who ultimately came up with that suggestion was Nina who I was starting to notice favored simplicity over creativity…eh, I had no room to complain; I owned a fish that I called fish.

"Good morning Harlie." I looked again to see the actual Jennifer approaching with a basket in her hands.

"I told you not to call me that." Laharl said with a grimace.

"You don't like sounding like even more of a girl?" I asked with a smirk before he suddenly turned around and socked me in the stomach.

"Owen!" Nina said in a worried tone as I coughed.

"I'm okay." I choked out, "I was actually expecting that."

"Owen…why do you always cause problems?"

"I'm very honest." Nina giggled before taking my hand.

"That's true…Owen…I need to talk to you about something important. Can you meet me at the usual spot in a few minutes?" …

"Um…yeah." I replied as she stood up and walked out of the throne room.

"Huh…wonder what she wants to talk about?" Sukia wondered out loud.

"Guess I'll find out…no spying, this seems important."

"Alright, but I get to teach the twins anything I like." Ugh, this stupid little…

"Fine, but I want some intelligence. Here's a book of morals." Before I could hand it to her, Nini bungeed down grabbing it from my hands, "Don't put it down till you're done with it!"

"Boo."

"Shut up."

I rushed down the stairs and towards the courtyard, but before I even made it outside I felt someone pull at my collar; turning around I looked to see Pleinair looking at me with her usual blank stare.

"Oh, hey Pleinair. What's up?"

"…Help."

"With what?" She pointed to the armory and I looked to see a claw machine was set up near the stand.

"…Bunny." Oh yeah, Laharl put that in to scam more money out of us…even me, and apparently Pleinair too. Approaching it I looked inside to see a small stuffed white voodoo looking rabbit in the center of the whole thing, "Bunny."

"You sure…it's creepy looking."

"Bunny."

"Fine, fine…why my help?" She looked down before looking back up and shrugging making me chuckle, "Well…I'll see how I can do." Popping ten hell into the machine I grabbed the lever and spun it around before putting it over the voodoo rabbit and hitting the button; it slowly descended before gripping the rabbit and pulling it up…before it dropped it and the rabbit snuggled into the pile, "Damn."

"…That's not coming out." Pleinair said and I looked to see her bow fall limply.

"…Don't tell anyone." I said.

"What?" Pulling out a small knife I cut into the glass and made a small circle before popping it out and reaching inside. Once I grabbed the bunny I pulled it out and handed it to Pleinair, "…Thank you."

"No problem." I said as she walked away. Hearing a cough I looked to see the armory girl glaring at me, "Don't judge me."

"What are you doing?" I looked over to see the nurse Anna looking at me, "…You destroyed the claw machine again didn't you?"

"I didn't hear you complaining when I got you that stuffed dragon." She giggled before slapping me on my back and making something sting, "Why the wound!?"

"Because I'm your doctor. Now where's Nina? She's always with you." Oh right, Nina!

"She wanted to talk to me at our tree, but Pleinair asked for my help."

"Really? A private chat with Nina, sounds like your dream." Anna replied nudging me.

"Yeah…but I'm a bit worried about what she wants to talk about." It was weird to think that she has something really serious to talk about.

"Well I'm sure you'll be able to handle it…she trusts you for a reason so you can't let her down."

"You don't know me well enough to be that confident."

"Maybe not…but she does." Huh…didn't expect that.

"…Alright…thanks for the help Anna."

"Yeah well…" She smacked me on the back again causing another jolt of pain, "don't expect it."

"Noted…see ya later." Looking at the machine I reached inside and pulled out a tiny dog before rushing to the courtyard.

As I walked up to the tree I could see Nina looking out to the distant lake around the castle; moving up I sat next to her and tapped her shoulder to grab her attention.

"Owen! Thanks for coming."

"Of course…what's wrong?" She took a deep breath and turned to me.

"Owen…there's something important I want to tell you and I trust you a lot after everything we've been through together…will you listen to me?" I looked into her eyes and for the first time I could feel true fear behind them…it made me scared.

"Of course, I'll listen to anything you have to say." She smiled before taking a long exhale.

"Thanks…do you know about the Reist name?"

"…No, honestly until I heard you say it was your last name I'd never heard it."

"Well, Reist is part of a big philanthropy group that has stocks all over the world. They were there when Microsoft was just getting started and bought stocks in the company; they knew which spots had the best oil deposits when America was just starting to mine for it; they were even one of the few people to strike gold during the gold rush. Even my parents were able to interpret how big google would become and were a part of the start-up stock group." Wow.

"That's incredible intuition over many generations." She giggled at this.

"It's kind of our trademark. Our fortune could amount to the worth of Bill Gates…maybe a few short but still that impressive."

"Then…why do you go to Rangview? You could afford private schooling."

"…It was the first thing I chose." What?

"What do you mean by that?"

"I went to private schooling since daycare, even my babysitters were teachers. It wasn't until my summer vacation after eight grade that my parents sat me down and placed a stack of papers in front of me. They were high school notices; both private and public; no statistics or facts about them, just a list of high schools and my own instincts to guide me." She reached into her hoodie pocket before pulling out a slip of paper, "I was a mountain high list with multiple schools all over the world; they would send me to any school of my choosing and all I had to do was choose which one. It made me nervous, my instincts were going to affect the rest of my life on this one decision. So I chose; I was so nervous and tense I chose the one that landed in front of me the moment the pile fell beneath my hands." She handed me a wrinkled page and I looked to see the words, 'Rangview High school' in faded text.

"Wait…you decided on a whim?"

"No, I was so unsure of myself that in the heat of the moment I chose the first thing I laid my eyes on."

"I'm…guessing your parents had some reservations on this."

"Actually no; the second I told them I wanted to go they gave me their okay and I was off to my new school. For the next two years." Two years?

"Then…why do you still have this scrap of paper?"

"…It's the one reminder that I have of my instincts leading me in the wrong direction." She curled up and gripped her legs tightly, "When my parents sat me down; that was one of the few times I've seen them. Because my parents followed their instincts I was commonly left alone after my eighth birthday; they increased their wealth…and I was left to trust in mine. Things never went as well as I wished they would though; my choices weren't always the best for me. Once I wanted to take care of a fish and chose the best one; he died before I even got a chance to feed him. When taking care of a flower I watched as it wilted into nothing by the end of the re-sodding process. The only thing I know was a right choice was when I found this hoodie at a garage sale…it's the most comfortable thing I've ever worn." That's right she's been wearing that hoodie since I first saw her outside the kendo meeting room…huh…

"So you don't have a lot of confidence in yourself." She nodded, "I'm guessing school didn't make it any better?" She shook her head.

"People were intimidated by me, a rich girl coming into a rundown high school like theirs…no offense."

"None taken; go on."

"Well, making friends was easy for me in my first year…but I knew they just wanted the perks of being friends with the rich girl. So at the end of the year…I was alone again…this time because I followed my instincts. They led me where I knew they would…but it still hurt a lot to be alone again. On my second year in that school I kept to myself. I studied alone, I ate by myself…it wasn't healthy to be by myself…I realize that now. But in by the end of the year I became the second best student in all of Rangview sophomore class."

"Second best?"

"Yeah, I was kind of surprised to hear that too, even when in my first year I was confident in my school work, I expected to be the best with all my alone time. The only thing to do was study anyway…but it made me slightly happy, I wasn't the only one who was by themselves, that's what I thought when I heard that. So with the name of the number one student I hunted her down next year…and it led me to the kendo meeting room…where she was just hanging out with her friends, I felt something in my heart in that moment…a burgeoning sensation in my chest…it was longing, I wanted that, what she had with her friends. I would give anything for it…so I watched them for weeks, just hanging out, I wanted to be a part of that…my instincts told me to jump in and just go for it…but I didn't want to trust them. They did nothing but get me into trouble…and yet it didn't go away…so I was determined to silence this feeling myself." …

"What do you mean?" I asked feeling a sense of worry creep on me.

"That day…when you dived for me, I jumped off the roof…by my own choice. I didn't want to live with that sensation eating away at me…and yet I was too weak to act on it…so I jumped, I wanted nothing more to do with this world…or myself." !, "Then…you jumped after me…do you know why?"

"I…something inside screamed for me to save you…before I knew it I leaped for you."

"…Your instincts kicked in." …She's right, I acted through instinct to save her.

"Honestly, that's the first time I think my instinct ever kicked in. Before I was just going through the motions and I was content with that…well, I thought I was content. I expected my strength to be able to handle anything. Then I ended up here and saw it actually weakened me. I had no purpose, no goal, nothing."

"…Everything changed."

"Huh?" I turned back to see she had stood up.

"When I first saw you in danger, everything changed."

"W-What do you mean?"

"It happened first in Vyre's castle. I saw you struggle with those enemies and my body just told me, 'help him' so I moved my staff and uttered the first words I could think of; hoping something would happen…and they did. I didn't realize what had just happened and kept going…then when the dragon attacked, I watched as it shot it's dying breath at you and my heart stopped for a moment before it happened again. My body moved without me realizing and I produced powers I never would have believed…I realized in that moment…I wanted to help you." Hearing those words I gripped the dirt beneath me.

"…And I was a jerk."

"No…I just didn't realize how insecure you felt."

"That's a terrible excuse. I was so used to being the best that I saw those who beat me as scum…cheaters…and worse. Nina, I almost made you take your life AGAIN…I never wanted to do that, especially to you. You were only trying to help."

"Owen…you helped me more than you know. Every time I look at you I see a reason to keep moving. You were the first person to show me how instincts can be a good thing…how by following my heart and taking action that quick thinking can be the best moment in my life…and how it can make many more. You may be hard-headed and stubborn, but you helped me grow, you helped me become a better person."

"Nina…it's the same for me, even in my worst moments you continued to stand by me when everyone else was content to watch me stew in it. You reached out your hand and pulled me back from the abys multiple times…and made it so I wouldn't lose what I had thrown away. Thanks to you, I don't mind being weak, I don't mind relying on people who are stronger than me. Because I want to protect what's important to me and if I can't do it myself…I'll find others to help me achieve it." I got up and entwined my hand in Nina's making her gasp before looking in my eyes, "But…most of all…I want to protect you. The girl who stood by me through thick and thin…and showed me how a gentle hand can be more effective than a tough fist."

"Owen…"

"Nina…I…I don't ever want to lose you…I want to protect you…I want you to be with me wherever I go."

"I…I feel the same way Owen." I could feel my face heat as my heart was about to beat out of my chest. I looked into Nina's eyes as she looked back at me with gentle, welcoming eyes.

"Nina…I…I love you." Her eyes widened in surprise before they softened again and I saw a smile on her face.

"Owen…I love you too." I felt my foot move forward as I raised my hand to caress her cheek and closed my eyes as she did the same. The silence in the dark seem to last forever before I felt something softly touch my lips and realized…those were Nina's lips. I brought her closer into an embrace with our lips still connected and just let the moment wash over me as my heart had finally slowed down replaced by a feeling of lightness and a warm sensation across my chest. When we finally separated I opened my eyes to see Nina looking back at me with flushed cheeks and a bright smile; she was beautiful in this moment. I pulled her into a hug and felt her wrap her arms around my back.

"I don't care where we go or what we do, but I want you to be there through it all. Whatever we do, let's do it together."

"Even if we never make it back, I won't despair…because you're with me…and I will be with you." As we stayed there in our little world I can honestly say that I have never felt a greater moment in my life…and no matter what, I was going to make sure that we could have as many more moments like this as we wanted together…forever.


	16. Hero

Gordon gave a long sigh as he slumped next to me; I was currently absorbed in the best show the Netherworld had to offer, Headball; it's like football but they carry around a severed shrieking head and some players lose their mind after holding it for too long.

"This is bad, at this rate I'll have to accept the Overlord's job as slayer of the Netherworld."

"Really? Sounds like a better position than vassal." I commented.

"How did you adjust so well? Don't you want to go back to earth!?" I shrugged in reply.

"You get used to it after a while." Popping open a bag of giant's toenail chips I held out the bag to Gordon and he begrudgingly grabbed one, "You have to find peace in the smaller things…I definitely did." I smiled to myself thinking back on the time Nina and I spent together a few days ago, ever since then I found myself smiling more than ever.

"Wait…the EDF! They'll save me!"

"What the hell is the EDF?"

"THE EARTH DEFENSE FORCE." Thursday answered rolling up with Jennifer beside him…it…whatever.

"Why did the Earth Defense Force send such a small unit?" Sukia asked floating down from the ceiling.

"What more do you need than the defender of Earth?" Gordon asked confidently as his smile gave a small glint.

"…I think I'd prefer an army." Shifty said suddenly appearing from the shadows making me jump.

"Stop doing that!" Sukia yelled and he snickered.

"What are you idiots doing?" I looked over to see Laharl and Flonne entering the throne room.

"Hey Harlie." Jennifer said hopping forward and making Laharl jump back.

"What did I say about staying away from me!?"

"Oh come on. You have to be used to me by now." As they talked Flonne rushed over and started changing the channel.

"Hey, I was watching that!" I said as she put on Mighty Morphing Prism Rangers; it's insane they even got a show after how badly we kicked their butts.

"But this is the episode I've been waiting for! Prism Green and Prism Black are finally going to get together." She retorted wide-eyed.

"Please, Prism Black is a complete moron. He couldn't even read the signs during that school play of Romeo and Juliet."

"But it's cute."

"It's aggravating! Even Green is pissed at him for this crap!"

"-And that's all you need to know about why some sayings are inappropriate…like the one you used earlier."

"Tickle, Tickle-"

"-here comes my pickle."

"Ewwww! Where did you even hear that one!?" Before I looked to see who was talking I saw Sukia had a smug grin on her face and swung my foot slamming her into the ground; I knew who was talking of course though. Nina and the twins were coming into the throne room and Nina was lecturing them on the terrible things they've been learning from Sukia and Etna who, I was convinced, were trying to corrupt them until they were liable to become super criminals…or at least adults with uncomfortable social norms.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again," I started standing up and moving over, "Stop. Taking. Advice. From. Sukia. And. Etna! They will corrupt you!" Both of them shrugged as I gave a sigh. Nina put her hand on my shoulder and I stood up deciding it wasn't worth scolding them.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" Nina asked and I thought for a moment.

"…As far as I know nothing major is happening today. We can just relax and enjoy the day."

"Well…then maybe we can go on a picnic…just the two of us?" She wrapped her arms around my left arm and I gave her a smile.

"I'd like that." She smiled back and leaned in as I did the same-

'CRASH!'

"Prince! You've been challenged!" Etna yelled.

"Well…there goes the moment." I said and Nina chuckled before giving me a peck on the cheek.

"That's okay. Now what's this challenge?" Etna gave the letter to Laharl as we all gathered around the throne.

"I am the Defender of Earth. I finally found you, evil overlord. The time has come to settle the score. Come to the Forest of the Dead. There, you shall meet your doom." Laharl gripped the paper in his hand and glared at Gordon.

"Gordon if this is a joke then I'm not laughing!"

"I didn't write that!" He said, "Whoever wrote this is trying to besmirch the name of Defender of Earth."

"Yeah, it's not like you didn't already burn that bridge yourself." Etna said rolling her eyes and smirking.

"Hmmm…what if it's a previous Defender of Earth?" Jennifer offered.

"That's impossible. Aren't they all already dead?" Gordon asked.

"AFFIRMATIVE. BURIED IN ELEGENT GRAVES…OR SHALLOW HOLES." Thursday added, "MORE THE LATTER THAN THE FORMER."

"That doesn't sound like a good career choice then." I commented.

"I'd rather die on the battle field." Shifty said, "Stabbed full of holes and taking my last shaky breath; content with the life I've led."

"Sounds more disturbing and misleading than peaceful."

"Most would expect you to come back as a ghost with that story." Nina said.

"Haunting other warriors." The twins said.

"You know…that sounds pretty good too." Shifty said looking at the ceiling and thinking, "…Not worth eternal suffering though."

"Yeah, I won't suffer for battle." I said.

"Very well then…We're going!" Laharl said.

"It's your duty as an overlord isn't it?" Etna asked.

"Exactly, I'll pound him into submission and make him my vassal!" He turned to Gordon with a wicked grin, "Rejoice, Gordon! You're getting a new friend! Haaahahahahaha!" I looked over at Gordon to see the look of a defeated man as Jennifer pat his back in support.

Before we left I decided to take a quick stop by the infirmary and get a check-up from Anna who lazily rolled around in her chair and picked up various paperwork; she finally rolled over to me and pinched my nose before flashing a tiny flashlight in my mouth.

"Hmm…" She pulled back before poking my side making me jump, "Oh!" She continued to poke me all over the place for a few minutes before sliding back and writing something down on her clipboard, "Okay…drop your pants."

"What!?" I asked in shock as she just stared at me.

"You wanted a physical right? I need to see everything."

"Honestly, all I want is to find out what level I am." She groaned before reaching into her desk drawer and pulling out a weird device.

"Wasting my time for something so simple. Next time just say you want your level checked." She held the device out and hearing a ding she turned it around to show me a number; fifty seven…I was level fifty seven now, "Well you're definitely not a weakling anymore." I chuckled at her comment as she wrote something down, "How does it feel?"

"Well…unimportant actually." I answered and she giggled.

"Really? Mister 'I want to get stronger' doesn't care about strength?"

"Yeah, I get the irony."

"It breaks the border of irony and goes to complete contradiction."

"Alright, alright! Jeez, can't let it go?" She punched me in the stomach and wrote something down before smirking at me.

"Nope."

"…Ow…"

"Oh walk it off you baby…now drop 'em."

"I don't want a physical!"

"Too bad! I've got everything but that and you started it! Now drop your drawers!" Damn it.

"Fine!" Pulling my pants down she looked blankly before cracking a smile and chuckling, "…What does that mean?"

"You're good." She said swirling around to her desk.

"Why did you laugh!?" Pulling up my pants I watched as she snickered before putting her head on her desk and all I could hear was muffled laughter, "…Never mind, I don't want the answer." Leaving her to her laughter I walked out of the infirmary and directly into Sukia.

"What's up?"

"Just getting a check-up." She craned her neck into the infirmary.

"…Why is she laughing?"

"She saw my privates and just started laughing." She snickered in response.

"I understand that." Wait…what?

"When did you-"

"You're a surprisingly sound sleeper." …Another question I don't want the answer to.

On the other side of the portal I looked around at the dense forest; it was lined with trees as far as I could see and in the distance of some of them I could have sworn I saw a figure pass by before disappearing.

"The Forest of the Dead." Nina started, "They say weary and restless souls traverse this space of the damned with nowhere to go, just trying to pass on." So those figures in the distance are ghosts?

"Hey Gordon, do you think the message is from Kurtis?" Jennifer asked Gordon.

"Who's Kurtis?" Etna asked.

"He's the other Defender of Earth."

"Other defender? There are two?" Flonne asked.

"Two is better-"

"-than one."

"Yeah, of course you two think that." I said tussling their hair, "I'm guessing they don't work together like you two do though."

"He does steal work from us." Jennifer said in agreement, "Although, he has managed to save the Earth more than a few times so currently there are two defenders."

"Seems stupid." Sukia chimed in.

"IT IS." Thursday added and I chuckled; a robot agreed…that's the ultimate insult.

"Well unless he somehow made it to the Netherworld without Thursday picking it up then I think we're okay in assuming it isn't Kurtis." Gordon explained, "Right, Thursday?"

"SCANS INDICATE NO HUMAN CRAFTS HAVE ENTERED THE ATMOSPHERE SINCE WE CRASH LANDED." Thursday replied.

"So the earth is attacked regularly?" I asked admittedly surprised; Earth is the most boring planet in my opinion, nothing but stupid people with stupid reasons.

"Of course." Gordon replied, "The Earth is constantly under attack for everything it has to offer." …snrk, "Something wrong?"

"No…not at all…" I really have to hold back a laugh…because if I do…Nina will scowl at me…

"Owen…no." Nina said to me and I took a deep breath. As soon as I took that breath a group of demons suddenly appeared in front of us.

"Don't have the time for it now." I replied drawing my blade as she rolled her eyes with a smile pulling her rapier out.

I skid back as the mage hit me with a spell and bumped into somebody; turning around I looked to see Shifty standing there.

"Team attack?" I asked and he nodded forming wings and putting his blade away; he grabbed my shoulders and we took off into the sky before he spun and sent me flying at the group of enemies like a bullet. I pulled my metal shield out and braced myself as I crashed into one and then the one behind him and so on for three more guys before doing a full spin where I put my shield away and pulled my blade out in a swift motion slashing through all of them making them disappear, "Whooo! That was better than I thought it would be." I slightly stumbled on my feet before falling onto my butt, "We…might need more practice at that."

"You need to learn to stay on your feet." He replied landing and reaching out his hand to help me up. As I got up I looked behind Shifty to see a spell caster charging up; rushing past him I stuck my blade into his stomach and swung through him as he vanished, "And yet your reflexes are good…delicious."

"Shifty, we talked about the creepy thing. It's creepy." I looked over at Nina and Sukia who were getting ready for their team attack. Nina skid back and raised her blade to the sky as Sukia flew behind her; Sukia blew out a kiss and every single one of them went starry eyed and red cheeked as Nina took a deep breath, magic gathered around her blade as ice, fire, wind and star became a blinding light before she swung in an X formation sending out a wave of magic energy and Sukia raised her hand into the sky sending a lightning bolt directly on the X making it spark before it hit all of them in a blast of elemental power and thunder crashing destruction over all of them. When it lifted there was a crater left where they had been as Sukia and Nina high fived.

"…Did we lose?"

"I think we did Shift…I think we did."

Once we had finished dispatching of the remaining enemies we kept moving deeper into the forest; I could hear moans echo through the forest and pass by me and even right over my hear making me shiver slightly.

"What is with this place!?" Sukia said now walking next to me and clutching her arms as she shivered, "It's creepier than that secret room in the castle."

"Secret room!?" I jumped slightly as Etna had suddenly shown up right next to Sukia making her grab me and dig her sharp nails into my arm.

"OW!" I screamed and she let go.

"Sorry…didn't expect her to be there."

"That doesn't mean you make me bleed!"

"Answer the question please." Etna asked and Sukia thought for a moment.

"Hmmm…I don't really remember much…I kind of left after that sad and uncomfortable air set in around me…it was almost penetrating and I wanted to cry."

"You aren't embarrassed to say that?" I asked.

"If I were in front of a man it would make me seem vulnerable and innocent. Great combination."

"Why do I ask? Every time it turns into a weird sex story! It's like I'm hanging out with the entire cast of Sex and the City!"

"You watch Sex and the City?" Nina asked cutting in and I instantly felt regret wash over me.

"Only one episode…or a season."

"You watch chick flicks?" Sukia asked with that lilt in her voice that made me grit my teeth as I knew she was snickering inside at my embarrassment.

"That's nice…have you watched The Notebook?" Nina asked and I nodded reluctantly, "Well…maybe we could watch it together then." …

"Sukia," I pulled her over and whispered into her ear, "you are a genius!" She giggled before smacking my back.

"Well, this looks very entertaining." Etna said as her tail whipped around playfully, "Also, Sukia…keep that room to yourself…you don't want to wake up with a knife suddenly in your back…or your trachea." Sukia shivered slightly and the carefree atmosphere disappeared in an instant.

"Etna, stop scaring them." Flonne said and she sighed before hopping back over to Laharl.

"How far are we going to have to go?" Nini asked.

"We've walked about a mile into the forest already." Gemi added.

"We must be close." I said looking into the distance, "They usually show up to proclaim ther distain for Laharl at this point."

"If anything it feels a bit late." Nina added and I nodded in agreement. Suddenly Laharl stopped making everyone do the same.

"…Show yourself!" He shouted into the air.

"It's good to see the Overlord's senses aren't dull." A voice said as in front of us a man faded into existence before our very eyes, "Prepare yourself to face the Defender of Earth!"

"Kurtis?" Gordon asked as he came into view. It was a withered old man in copper armor holding a rusty old blade; the man looked ready to keel over before he could take on the overlord…his eyes were very determined though, they were sharp and focused intently on Laharl without even a glance at anyone else.

"If that's Kurtis then you've lost a lot of my respect Gordon." I said as he gripped the blade sheathed at his side.

"Take this!" He swung forward at Gordon as he stood there dumfounded.

"Gordon, move!"

"LOOK OUT CAPTAIN." Thursday rolled in front and was struck by the old man's blade; it shocked me to see Thursday take the hit at all. He rolled back before starting to twitch and spark uncontrollably.

"Thursday!" Jennifer cried as she and Gordon moved over to him.

"Oh no!" Nina said as she rushed over and looked the robot over, "…What!?"

"What is it Nina?" Gordon asked.

"He damaged an integral piece of Thursday…if it were a normal hit I could heal him but-"

"The damage to his memory circuit is extensive." Jennifer added, "If I had the proper tools I could fix him but…" She trailed off and looked at the ground as her eyes quivered, "…if he overheats…he'll lose his memories." Gordon turned back to the man.

"You fiend! Who are you!?" He demanded.

"I am Don Joaquin, the original defender of Earth." Original?

"Well then, how cowardly are you to attack the thirty seventh defender of Earth!?"

"You are a defender of Earth…what are you doing here then?"

"He's a vassal." Gemi cut in.

"For the overlord Laharl." Nini finished and Don went wide eyed. I glared at both of them and they just shrugged.

"The defender of Earth is now the overlord's vassal!? How shameful, how disgraceful, the defender of Earth has sunk so low."

"Sir?" Gordon asked looking scared and worried. Before we could even step forward, Don suddenly took a step back and vanished completely, "…I feel ashamed…"

"Nothing new." I said shrugging.

"Wait…how long do humans live?" Sukia asked.

"If Gordon is the thirty seventh defender, that means at least a few generations have gone by." Nina said contemplating.

"Then I can say for sure that he should be dead." Etna said, "Are we sure he's not lying."

"No, it may be true." Jennifer interjected, "My father used to tell me about him. Hundreds of years ago, the first defender of Earth left for the Netherworld to vanquish the overlord and never returned."

"Well I can tell you know, humans don't live hundreds of years." I said, "…We're lucky if we live a hundred years."

"Fragile creatures." Nini said and Gemi nodded.

"Well then he should have passed away long ago." Flonne said.

"That's probably his soul." Laharl said crossing his arms, "He probably couldn't rest in peace until he defeated the overlord, so his soul remained behind."

"Why?"

"He's an obsessive nut job, that's why." I said harshly and Nina smacked my arm, "What!? It's true."

"That's the soul of a man who still needs the rush of battle." Shifty said licking his lips, "…I can take him out."

"Why do I get the feeling you're going to eat him?"

"Do you want results?"

"Don't eat human souls!"

"They taste terrible." Gemi added.

"Stop making things up!"

"There's only one reason." Gordon said catching our attention, "It's his duty as a hero!" …

"That…is the stupidest reason-"

"Wow! Really!?" Flonne asked looking completely enamored and impressed, "But we can't just leave him like this…we have to help him!" She turned to Laharl.

"…You're about to force your belief on me again…aren't you?"

"Bingo! Laharl, next time we face him, let's lose on purpose."

"Are you mental? I have a duty as overlord to fulfill! I can't lose on purpose!"

"But-"

"If he lost on purpose then all respect for battle he has would go down in flames." Shifty elaborated, "Even I know how respected someone is when they fight to their fullest."

"Precisely!" Laharl agreed.

"But can't you put your pride aside for just one battle? No one has to know." Flonne said. If he loses on purpose then I'm telling everyone.

"If he loses on purpose then I'm telling EVERYONE." Etna said and I snickered before patting her back.

"See! I can't slack off for even a minute!" Laharl yelled as he shot a ball of fire at us.

"Are you so selfish that you can't even let a poor hero have his last request?" Flonne asked starting to get mad.

"Shut up! This is between me and him, so stay out of it!" Flonne pouted directly at Laharl who just glared back before turning around, "We're going in after him!"

We kept moving through the forest but instead of the casual conversation that usually kept us feeling calm it was dead silence with the only sound being the sparking of Flonne's eyes as she glared into the back of Laharl's head…I honestly thought his hair would burst into flames with how intense she was glaring. I looked behind me and the twins just blinked while Shifty shrugged; Gordon was in deep thought while Jennifer worked on Thursday, tinkering with its…whatever made it tick; the only people who seemed unfazed were Etna, who was just twirling her tail in her hand as she walked, Sukia and Nina who were whispering in hushed conversation with each other. Leaning in I tried to catch what Sukia and Nina were talking about.

"…smaller than a tick." !?, "Something wrong Owen?" Sukia asked giving me her devil smirk.

"…What were you just talking about?" I asked and Sukia's eyes wandered to below my waist.

"Just…small things…certainly nothing about YOU." God damn it…I can't tell if she actually knows anything!

"Owen…she's bluffing." Nina said trying to comfort me.

"The sad part is I really don't know if that's true."

"…Neither can I." Great…that's my girlfriend, always supportive.

"This tension is weird."

"Well, it's understandable…Laharl is being too prideful." What?

"He's the overlord…if he doesn't meet a challenge at the fullest then he'd be disgracing his name."

"…Excuse me?" …Something…something is about to get worse.

"What? He has to!"

"For his pride? That's petty. He should be nice to that old soul and give him what he needs."

"But wouldn't that undermine what he wants?"

"He wants to defeat the overlord. What's so wrong with letting a ghost have his final wish?"

"What about Laharl? He's the overlord!? His reputation is on the line."

"Why are you defending Laharl?"

"I may rip on the guy but he's still got a reputation to keep and I can respect that."

"So it's okay to break a man's dream then…I get it."

"What do you mean?" I turned back to Nina who was now walking side by side with Flonne; as I watched her I felt a cold chill come from Nina towards me.

"Ahem." I turned to see Sukia looking at me with a smirk, "You screwed up."

"What? No I didn't."

"You did…" She strode forward next to Nina and I turned back to the others.

"…I didn't." As soon as I said that they all said, in unison.

"You did."

We eventually made it into the deep end of the forest; all around me I could only see thickets of trees that were impassible without hacking them apart and in the distance I could see a cliff wall cutting off the rest of the forest from us. We all stopped as Don Joaquin faded into existence before us.

"I see you've finally made it overlord! Countless years have passed since I left my home, Earth, so far away. How I've dreamt of this day…" He looked up to the starry sky as his eyes seemed to drift, "Now…we shall settle this!" He unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Laharl with that confident look in his eyes again.

"That we will! King Laharl runs from no one! Come on!" He bellowed back as his scarf produced his large blade.

"Wait Laharl!" Flonne cried, "You're not actually going to fight him are you!?"

"Why not? He challenged me, didn't he?"

"You can't be so cruel!" Nina interjected.

"Girls…just let him do things his way." Etna said and they both looked dumfounded.

"B-but-" Before she could finish Don stuck his blade into the ground.

"My friends, aid me in battle!"

"What? He's not alone!?" I said reaching for my sword and shield making everyone do the same. Suddenly a hoard of zombies appeared out of thin air in front of us.

"Ffffffrrrrrriiiiiieeeeeeeennnnnnnddddddssssssss…"

"Great…zombies."

"Zombies are not a challenge." Shifty said gritting his teeth.

"En garde, old hero!" Laharl yelled as he leaped straight at Don Joaquin leaving the rest of us with the zombies.

I slid back to dodge the zombies slash and bumped into Thursday who was whirring and beeping as he struck the zombie he was facing.

"Thursday? Don't strain yourself. You'll overheat." I said slashing the zombie apart.

"IT IS MY DUTY TO ASSIST THE DEFENDER OF EARTH. I HAVE TO HELP MY FRIENDS." Thursday…

"Alright then…mind assisting me then?" He quickly switched into his cannon mode and I wheeled him around towards the oncoming swarm before firing at all of them with the Thursday cannon; when the beam died down I watched as the zombies disappeared. I gave Thursday a thumbs-up which he clumsily returned before noticing that Nina was struggling to take on three zombies single handedly. Jumping over I swiped at all of them making them stagger, "You okay?" She pouted and I sighed, "As much fun as it would be to continue this fight about ethics and morals I'm going to tell you something that we both agree on." I quickly pecked her on the cheek making her blush, "I love you…whether we agree or not on certain matters that won't change…okay?" She giggled before thrusting at me; her blade went through the space between my left arm and my torso piercing the zombie that was coming up on me.

"Okay." I chuckled before grabbing her free hand.

"Then let's take them out!" I pulled my blade back covering it in fire as Nina began chanting; she tapped my blade as her rapier was surrounded by flames and a red string could be seen connecting our swords. Dashing forward I slashed along the ground creating a wall of fire that caught the zombies and I quickly jumped up as Nina thrust forward sending a torrent of fire consuming every zombie that was in the path. When I landed I was standing back next to Nina as the zombie wave disappeared.

"Laharl!" We both looked over to see Flonne watching as Laharl fought the first defender of Earth. Laharl seemed to go all out against the first defender who was actually facing Laharl with a very impressive challenge. I looked back to see the others were finishing up with the rest of the zombies leaving just the fight in front of us…man, Laharl gets the best fights…actually looking at it though…he can have 'em. Suddenly Don swung knocking Laharl's blade up before swinging down and sending him crashing to the ground in front of us, "Laharl!" Flonne dashed forward and fell to her knees as she looked at Laharl who slowly got back up and shook before explosive balls appeared.

"Overlord's wrath!" The balls went flying at Don Joaquin exploding in rapid succession before he fell to the ground and stopped moving.

Good…we won.

"Laharl!" Flonne suddenly started hitting him.

"Ow! Ow! Stop it Flonne!"

"Why!? Why didn't you lose!? I know you have a kind heart inside…so why?" He suddenly grabbed her hand.

"…You're starting to get annoying. I'm a DEMON…there was never any kindness in my heart. You were wrong about me, sorry to disappoint you." Her eyes went wide before she suddenly turned beat red and started hitting him more ferociously.

"You suck! How could you let me down! You're the worst-"

"It's okay little girl." Don suddenly said standing back up making all of us turn to him, "I'm satisfied now."

"What…what do you mean?"

"It may be hard for you to understand but we heroes live a certain way…and we die a certain way too. I was once known as the defender of Earth…but I grew old, died, and have existed as a mere soul…I could no longer live as a hero, nor could I die as one; I just wandered the Netherworld…how pathetic I felt."

"Was it because you died a hero?" I asked suddenly…I'm not even sure why I asked. He chuckled before smirking.

"No…I'm glad I was a hero…but I was unable to do the one thing I came to the Netherworld to do…whether I succeeded or not was not what I wanted…but to be able to fight the overlord…that's all I wanted. I wasn't able to win, but I have no regrets. In fact, I feel as if a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders."

"But…you didn't get to protect what you cared about when you were alive…you lost everything. Why fight?"

"…Because I knew it was still worth fighting for." !, "Even if I lost my chance to defend it…I would still fight to protect it with my life; because I know that it's still out there…this was my chance to show my will not to give up…even if I lost I'm proud to have been given the chance." He turned back to Laharl, "So thank you, kid overlord, for fighting with all your might. Now, I can finally rest in peace…thank you." Laharl smirked at this.

"What kind of hero thanks an overlord? I was just fulfilling my own duty." A moment of silence hung in the air until suddenly static and whirring fileld the air making everyone turn to Thursday.

"BLIIIIIIPPPP…B-B-BEEEEPPPPP…" As everything on Thursday started to flicker I felt my heart race with worry…wait…what, "GORDON…JENNI…FER…" Why was I worried about the robot…why am I getting so…is that a tear, "DID…THURSDAY…SERVE…HIS…PURPOSE?" !

"…Yes! Of course! Of course you did, Thursday!" Gordon said with tears in his eyes, "We were only able to overcome the obstacles we have faced in our adventures because of your support."

"No…please…" Nina chocked out as her eyes began to water.

"We three together are, The Defenders of Earth! So don't give up! Thursday!"

"THANK…GOODNESS…THANK YOU…FOR ALL…THE…ME…MO…RIES…"

"H-Hey…you okay?" I asked stepping forward, "Thursday…come on…" The robot didn't move, "Come on…get up!" I shook him vigorously as a lump in my chest formed.

"Owen…" Nina started.

"He's gone." Sukia said bluntly.

'No, I refuse to believe that!" I yelled. As I shook and hit Thursday I could hear Jennifer crying as Gordon screamed to the heavens.

"…Young defender." We all turned back to Don Joaquin, "You have wonderful friends…if I had friends like that maybe things would have been different. This…will be my final act as defender of Earth." He raised his blade to the sky and began to glow brightly, "Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" When it died down we all stood there in silence until a gentle whirring and beeping filled the air.

"BEEP…BEEP BLIP BEEP…GOOD MORNING, CAPITAIN GORDON, JENNIFER." As soon as he started talking I felt that lump completely disappear as my pulse slowed back down…he was fine…that's good.

"Don Joaquin, how can we repay you?" Jennifer asked whipping her tears away.

"No, it was my fault it happened in the first place…I don't need to be thanked…farewell, young defenders of Earth. Remember that spirit inside you…" With those final words he faded away, leaving a glowing white orb which floated off into the sky…into his eternal rest.

"Farewell Don Joaquin…I salute you." Gordon said with a salute to the sky.

"…He saved Thursday." Sukia said offhandedly, "Even without a reason to do it…and as a spirit he still wanted to help."

"A hero to the bitter end." Nini said.

"And forever on." Gemi finished. He didn't know Thursday…but he saw the bitterness and despair it brought us when he was gone…and brought him back…I never want to feel that way again…to have that lump inside is terrible; I have to protect those I care about…whether I'm alive…or dead.

"…Maybe there are some decent humans after all." Laharl said.

"Like us?" I asked and he snickered.

"Don't flatter yourself." Knew it.

"Looks like you're getting the hang of being overlord. Aren't you prince?" Etna asked.

"Of course. Who do you think I am? I'm the great king Laharl!"

"Um…Laharl?" I looked over to see Flonne fidgeting with a bashful red on her face, "I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions and said such horrible things…" Suddenly Laharl's grin turned into a mischievous smirk.

"That's right! You said I'm 'the worst-' didn't you? How was that going to end?" She stepped back as her face got redder.

"U-Um…w-well…"

"I'd like to know too." I said getting on the band wagon.

"I'm curious." Sukia said and Nina nodded in agreement.

"Tell us." The twins added.

"I can admit mild curiosity." Shifty said.

"I'd like to hear the answer to that as well." Gordon said.

"Me too." Jennifer added.

"What kind of filthy language was about to escape those love-preaching lips?" Etna asked. At this point Flonne's entire body was threatening to turn as red as her face. Suddenly Thursday started beeping quickly.

"CALCULATING…CALCULATING…CALCULATING…COMPLETE. THE ANSWER IS-"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Flonne swung her staff forward knocking Thursday back into a nearby tree.

"Ah…she destroyed the evidence…hmhmhm…" Etna said playfully.

"Ah! Thursday!" Jennifer cried as he started to spark again.

"Wicked little angel." Laharl commented.

"Yup…worse than a demon." Etna added.

"Come on Flonne, we just got him back…don't you have a heart?" I asked and she pouted as we all chuckled and snickered.


	17. Invasion

I sat down in the library, reading over some of the finer points of swordplay with Nina; she was getting better with her rapier but she wanted to see what the proper stances and forms were…unfortunately it was leading to fencing. I remember one of the clubs at school being fencing…it's like that kendo thing but much more rigid and…apparently British.

"Ugh…it's like reading Jewish scripture; I understand every third line and nothing else!" I groaned closing the book.

"Why were you reading Jewish scripture?" Nina asked.

"My great grandpa, on my father's side, was a Hasidic Jew. Before my parents divorced he had me learn a bit of Hebrew…needless to say, it didn't stick."

"Hmmm…" She got closer and looked over my face.

"What is it?"

"…You wouldn't think from looking at you that you're Jewish."

"Yeah…the line got muddled at my birth. I look more like my mother than my father." Reaching for the warriors guide to blades I cracked it open finding it more tolerable and less restricting than fencing.

"Well…maybe you can teach me later?" She asked scooching closer.

"Mmm…maybe not…but I'm not opposed to just sitting around with you." I replied putting my arm around her making her giggle.

"You two are sickening." I looked over to see Shifty standing near us with his arms crossed, "How did I lose to this stupid, emotional human."

"Emotions give us the ability to fight harder than unemotional demons." Nina said confidently.

"Yeah, I doubt it…but I'm willing to put that to the test." He gave us his challenging smirk and all I could do was groan.

"We did this an hour ago! Give it a rest." I replied getting sick of his constant daily challenges…now reaching three times a day.

"I will defeat you."

"Isn't the score seventy two to thirty six?" Nina asked and I gave her a bewildered look, "…What? Shifty asked me to keep record." I looked back at Shifty.

"I hate you." He just snickered at this statement before suddenly lurching down as a balloon came soaring at me. Pulling Nina down with me I slid out of my chair and onto the ground; the balloon flew over us and hit the lamp knocking it to the floor as it now gave off a noxious odor…stink bomb, "Damn it you two, stop that!" I looked up to see the Gemini twins glaring at us, unsatisfied with their failed prank.

"They're getting better at their pranks." Nina commented as we stood back up and dusted ourselves off.

"They missed." I pointed out before suddenly being hit with another stink bomb coating my body in the noxious odor.

"There are two of them." Nina pointed out as she plugged her nose and scooted away from me.

"…You stink now." Nini said bluntly as her counterpart smiled.

"Yeah…thanks for that." I looked over to see Nina was now a meter away from me as now everyone was standing in a circle around me, "…Great. I'm going to go take a shower." Hearing the twins snickering I walked off towards the castles showers.

Stepping out of the shower I wrapped the towel around my waist and stepped into the locker area; this castle has some weird facilities, honestly I wouldn't expect a locker room to be in the overlord's home. As I stepped into the locker room I looked to see Laharl sitting on the bench and drinking a bottle of milk.

"You know, that won't help you grow." I said walking over to my locker.

"Shut it." He replied tossing his empty carton into the trash and opening up another one, "…Hey."

"Yeah?"

"…You're human right?"

"Yep, you summoned a human as your first summon." I said knowing it was a failure for him.

"Well, you're better than I expected a human to be…you and Nina." I…honestly didn't expect that to come out of his mouth, "Just know…that if you don't pull your weight in battle I won't hesitate to take you out before the enemy has a chance to." Even though he said that…I didn't sense the malice in his voice that was usually there.

"…Alright. Then just know that I won't hesitate to call you out for your crap work." I replied and he gave me a toothy grin…never expected to become friends with this kid. Thinking about it now…I've been here for a while now…almost a full year and I haven't thought about how Nina and I are going to get home. Obviously we're following whatever plot was determined for this game…I at least remember the beginning and we've already experienced it…so are we here until the story is over?

"Hey, what's up with you?" Laharl asked pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Nothing…just thinking." Suddenly the ground began to shake violently making both me and Laharl fall to the ground.

"Laharl!" I heard Flonne's voice shout into the locker room.

"What do you want Flonne?" He asked as we got back on our feet.

"There was a weird tremor a moment ago!"

"Yeah, we got the memo." I replied.

"Those shouldn't happen around here though." Laharl said grabbing his shorts and shoes before rushing out the locker room door, "Something big is happening." Grabbing my clothes I followed him as Etna and a prinny came rushing up to us.

"Prince! A number of strange objects have appeared at the Stellar Graveyard!" The prinny said flailing his fins wildly.

"That was fast. How many?"

"Dood, there're billions of 'em!" Billions!?

"Sounds like an invasion force." Etna added.

"Did you hear that Jennifer!?" Gordon bellowed suddenly appearing behind us, "The EDF is here to save us!"

"Gah! We're you in the locker room!?" I asked and he grinned, "Creepy."

"Wait, Gordon." Jennifer piped up rushing over to us with Thursday in tow, "We can't be so sure. Even if it was the EDF, why would they send so many ships?"

"Um…invasion." Etna said again.

"Never! I'm sure the Earth wouldn't launch a full scale invasion like that."

"Dude! They sent you here to kill Laharl." I pointed out.

"PROBOBILITY OF INVASION…ONE HUNDERED AND TWENTY FOUR PERCENT." Thursday rattled off.

"I'm sure it's not that." Gordon said firmly.

"Well, why don't we check it out then?" Etna offered.

"I agree." Flonne chirped in, "Sitting here won't do any good."

"Sounds good to me." I added.

"Alright then!" Laharl shouted, "To the Stellar Graveyard!"

Once our new gear was picked out I felt confident on my ability to handle whatever we faced; Laharl had agreed to giving me a larger budget for weaponry…in fact it so large I was able to increase my entire groups equipment. I picked up a Reaper's Cloak for me, Prophet's Robe for Nina, Nine Tail Fur for Sukia, a pair of Dragon Jacket's for Gemi and Nini, and Black Armor for Shifty. For weaponry I went with the Crusader for myself, the Demon's Hand for Sukia and the primal force for Shifty; I couldn't find anything off the normal list for Nina or the twins as they used exclusive weapons, they were able to get what they needed off the extended list but I wasn't about to get in to that nonsense; a sword was simple enough for me and the other two were monster class so they didn't exactly have the widest selection.

"Thanks." I said and Susan nodded in response before reclining in her chair. I finished up with buying a few recovery items from Evelin and jumping as someone poked my back, "Gah!" I turned around to see Sukia giggling behind me as her tail swayed from side to side, "Very funny. What are you doing?"

"Getting ready before we head to the Stellar Graveyard."

"And that involves bothering me?"

"Yeah…who would I bother if not our leader?" Leader?

"Then go bother Laharl. He's the overlord."

"Yeah…but you're the leader of our little group."

"How about no."

"So cruel…but it's true."

"Why am I the leader?"

"Because Nina follows you…and so does Shifty."

"What about you and the twins."

"We follow Nina. Good enough reasons?"

"Not really."

"Well get used to it." With those words she walked away leaving me to think. Leader huh…seems weird to think about in retrospect…eh, if they want to follow me I don't mind.

Once everyone was ready we went through the portal and back into the Stellar Graveyard. Immediately we came face to face with men in matching suits with scuba helmets; they breathed heavily and said nothing as they looked directly at our group. Gordon was the first to step forward.

"Soldiers of the EDF! I told you Jennifer! Just like I said!"

"That's the uniform?" I asked disappointed, "…I expected something sleeker…this is just terrifying."

"Agreed." Nina said scooching behind me.

"…Something isn't right." Jennifer said in deep thought. I looked around them to see even more of those suits standing nearby.

"Hmmm…I've never seen so many humans all at once." Laharl said.

"So, what'd they come all the way here for?" Etna asked.

"Aren't they here to rescues Mr. Gordon?" Flonne asked.

"Seems like overkill for a rescue." Nini said.

"They could have sent a small force rather than an army." Gemi added.

"Agreed…this smells fishy." Shifty said as his hand moved to his weapon. The soliders just replied with muffled breathing through a filter.

"What's wrong?" Gordon asked, "Your beloved hero is right here!" Another moment of silence passed with only the sound of muffled breathing to be heard, "H-Hey…guys! It's me! Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth!"

"Not very popular, are you?" Laharl asked.

"Poor Mr. Gordon…" Flonne said sadly.

"D-Don't be silly, I'm the Defender of Earth! All the kids love me! I had my own comic series, and Saturday morning cartoon!"

"But they don't seem all that impressed." Etna pointed out.

"I sure as hell wouldn't be." I said, "You could have been the president for all I care. You're just not that impressive Gordon."

"You really like crushing dreams, don't you?" Nina asked giving me a glare.

"What!? I'm not easily impressed is all!"

"Gordon…we've been used." Jennifer said, "They asked us to defeat the overlord, but their true purpose was to secure a route to the Netherworld."

"What are you saying Jennifer!?" Gordon asked, bewildered by this new information, "They're risking their lives to save us! How can you accuse them of-"

"But Gordon…can't you see?"

"Enough of this! I don't want to hear it. I'm shocked and disappointed in you Jennifer. I hereby dismiss you from your duties as my assistant." At those words I saw Jennifer's eyes widen before she looked off and moved behind the rest of us with a frown and downcast eyes, "I must have faith in the people of Earth! Unfaltering, unwavering faith."

"Great thinking, pawn!" I shouted.

"Silence! It's my duty as Defender of Earth! Right, guys!?" He turned back to the EDF forces as the one in front drew a gun from his pocket.

"Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth…you are to be terminated." He replied.

"What!?"

"So much for that." Sukia said.

"Sucks to be you." Etna added.

" 'All the kids love me.' Huh? Right…" Laharl mocked.

"Poor Mr. Gordon…" Flonne said again with even more pity in her voice.

"…Die…" Hearing a click I shot forward and pushed Gordon out of the way as a laser blast struck where he was standing.

"Stop! I am-"

"They don't care!" I shouted at Gordon, "They came to take you out! Don't you get it!?" Getting back up I drew my sword, "Now either start fighting or get out of the way!" As the rest of the force pulled their guns out I turned to the others to see they were pulling their weapons out as well.

The EDF forces began to shoot at us all at once making the entire group hide behind a large rock; even when I tried to peer over the edge to look they were already moving their sites onto the top of my head making me immediately retreat.

"Well…seems they're trying to overwhelm us…and winning." I said.

"Let's just move in and take them out then." Shifty said about to dash forward before both Flonne and Nina stopped him.

"Wait!" Flonne yelled.

"You can't fight those humans!" Nina said.

"…Yeah I can, in fact I am positive I can take out a human."

"We're not killing the humans!" Nina said firmly.

"Then how are we going to get through them?"

"…Are they just normal humans?" Sukia asked catching everyone's attention.

"Yeah…as far as we know." I said pretty sure of myself.

"In that case-" She stood up and took off into the air, "-I've got this!" I watched as all the soldiers suddenly stopped and Sukia lowered to the ground, "Hello boys…hmhmhmhmmmm…would you mind stepping aside and putting your weapons down…I'd be very thankful." She giggled again and I watched as all the soldiers dropped their guns and moved to the side making a perfect pathway forward.

"What the hell!?" I said out loud as we all stepped forward.

"Surprised? I am a succubus after all." She replied smiling as Thursday and the twins started tying the soldiers up, "Humans are simple creatures who can't break my illusions very easily…well, except for one." She looked directly at me and I chuckled.

"Hmmm…why would the EDF attack me?" Gordon asked and I groaned loudly at his dimwittedness.

"Duh, they stabbed you in the back." Etna said, "You're slow!" Thursday suddenly started beeping.

"INCOMING MESSAGE FROM GENERAL CARTER." A small lens popped out of Thursday and started shining down on the ground; a projection of a man wearing a military suit showed up.

"Ahhh, Gordon. I see that you're still alive." General Carter said.

"That doesn't sound promising." Gemi said and I shook my head.

"Nope."

"What!?" Gordon yelled. Carter began to laugh.

"With your help securing a route, we were able to make it here unchallenged. Now, the Netherworld will be ours! I thank you, Defenders of Earth!" He gave another hearty laugh.

"What a dick." I said bluntly and from the look on everyone's faces I'm pretty sure we were all in agreement.

"Ha…hahahahahaha! I knew of their plan all along!" Gordon said.

"Liar!" Etna and I said in unison.

"Gordon, you were a splendid pawn." Carter said, "I will tell the people of Earth that you died valiantly while fighting the Overlord. That's the least I can do for you."

"For stabbing him in the back!?" Nina cried out, "You've got some nerve!"

"Yeah!" I agreed, "Treating a comrade like that. You're despicable!"

"Like I care."

"What!?"

"Well then, Gordon, so long…mahahahaha!" With that the transmission cut out. That bastard!

"Hmmm…there are some promising humans out there." Laharl said.

"I agree, should we try to recruit him?" Etna asked. If they aren't kidding I'm going to sock them both!

"Will you two stop joking around!? This is a serious matter!" Flonne demanded. I looked over at Jennifer to see she still had that sad look on her face.

"Jennifer." Gordon called out.

"She's probably still upset you trusted them over her." Etna pointed out.

"Didn't you dismiss her?" Laharl teased.

"Poor Miss Jennifer." Flonne said with less pity and more worry.

"THURSDAY NOT THE ONE TO BLAME. ALL GORDON'S FAULT!" Thursday said.

"Ooooohhhhh…I'm so sorry Jennifer!" Gordon said in a begging manner.

"No time for that now." I said getting us back on track, "Let's trace this human line back to its source." Everyone nodded in agreement and we all started heading down the Stellar Graveyard's worn in path from the soldiers' boots.

As we made our way through the humans, charming and then tying them up, we eventually came upon a small water spring with a large protruding rock coming out of the center.

"This is too easy." Sukia said happily as she seemed to dance as she walked, "I had forgotten how weak humans are."

"Not so fast!" We all looked around hastily for the source of the voice before Nini pointed to the sky and I looked to see a man with heroic green hair descend onto the stone protrusion in the lake, "Long time, no see, Gordon."

"K-Kurtis!?" Gordon said in shock. So that's Kurtis…seems about what I expected him to be.

"That's right. Kurtis, Defender of Earth!" He stated boldly as he stood there in a heroic fashion; his hair drifting casually despite the fact no wind was blowing.

"Wow! A rival has appeared…cool!" Flonne said with her Otaku fire in her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Calm down." Etna said.

"My goal was to defeat you Gordon, but it seems I've overestimated you." Kurtis said shooting daggers at Gordon, "I assumed you had completed your mission and defeated the Overlord. I came here to settle things with you. But look at the facts. You failed your mission, and even worse, you've become the Overlord's slave." He scoffed before looking away, "I'm embarrassed to call you my rival." I heard a slurping noise and looked over to see Shifty had a wild look in his eyes.

"Calm down man." I said as he ran his elbow over his bottom lip.

"I can't help it…I can feel his power from here." Ignoring Shifty I turned back to Kurtis.

"You don't have the right to call yourself 'Defender of Earth', nor the right to fight me! So long."

"Kurtis, wait!" Gordon yelled, "Maybe I did fail my mission. And in your eyes my case may look rather…pathetic."

"That's because it is." The twins said bluntly.

"Shh! It's getting good!" Flonne said completely enraptured by the scene.

"But! But, I say! I have not lost my passion! I still have a hero's spirit!" He pounded his chest and put one foot forward, "Words cannot describe this sensation! My soul burns brighter than ever before! And do you know why!? Because the true enemy has appeared before my very eyes!"

Are we gonna gloss over the fact that he thought Earth was still good until that General guy TOLD him he was being double-crossed?" I asked.

"SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Flonne hushed.

"…Fine then. If you insist, prove me wrong. I'll be waiting for you, Captain Gordon." He turned around before his boots suddenly propelled him into the air and sent him soaring into the sky.

"After him!" Gordon said as we kept moving down the path towards where Kurtis took off towards. I stopped noticing the Flonne had stopped in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" I asked and she jumped slightly.

"I…felt an evil presence." She replied.

"Was it General Carter? Or Kurtis?" Gordon asked as Flonne thought.

"No…it wasn't human…something more terrifying…"

"It's hard to believe there's something more evil than me." Laharl said, "You sure you're not imagining things?"

"…Maybe it's just me." Flonne replied. Odds are she actually felt something; she's never had that feeling before so I should keep an eye out.

As we walked I looked back occasionally to find Jennifer was still sulking at the back of the group; she had been like that since Gordon dismissed her…damn it Gordon. Moving forward I yanked Gordon's collar.

"You! Apologize to Jennifer! Making a girl cry is unforgivable!" I said and he looked surprised before taking a deep breath and nodding. The group stopped as Gordon walked back to Jennifer.

"Jennifer…I…you see-"

"…It's all my fault." Jennifer said confusing me.

"Wha-" Suddenly I felt something nag at the back of my mind and turned around drawing my blade.

"Who's there!?" Laharl and I said in unison. Suddenly Kurtis faded in out of the shadows.

"Impressive…I thought I had masked my presence completely." He was only a few feet in front of us.

"Yeah…you're closer than I'm comfortable with." I replied keeping my sight on Kurtis.

"Interesting…to think a human could match the power of an Overlord." He said surprising me and Laharl.

"What?"

"No way he's as strong as me." Laharl said.

"Like it or not, that's what I can see. Now how about you show me the power you've attained." He got into his stance and I moved into a comfortable stance ready for him. We both looked at each other as I took a deep breath and dashed forward, ready to take the first strike.

He ducked at my swing and moved to kick me in the face as I slid back and then thrust forward; he struck my blade with his palm knocking my blade into the ground and punched me in the chest making me stagger back. I regained my composure and jumped forward swinging down making him move to the side; when I landed I made a full spin hitting Kurtis and sending him flying into the air. He regained his balance in mid-air and activated his rocket boots making him hover in the air a few feet away. He put his fist out and I watched in shock as it separated from his body and shot at me; I pulled my blade back and waited for it to get close before swinging and knocking it to the side. Jumping up I pulled my blade back, (Blade Rush!) I dashed through the air hitting Kurtis and sending him crashing onto the ground. Falling down I moved to stab into Kurtis; he regained his composure and rolled to the side as my blade plunged into the ground getting stuck. As I tried to pull my blade out Kurtis reeled back and punched me in the face; I almost fell back but gripped the blade tightly trying to stay on my feet. Getting back up I returned the favor socking him in the face and making him stagger back. I pulled my blade out and took a quick swing across his chest cutting through his shirt to see metal where skin should be.

"Woah…you're a cyborg." I said in shock as he regained his composer and chuckled darkly.

"Yes…and that means I can do things like this." He flipped backwards and activated his rockets boots; he hovered in the air and pointed his finger at me as a mass of energy gathered, when he shot it off like a gun it struck the area around me in an explosion before his final shot hit me directly sending me flying backwards. I struggled to get back on my feet as he stepped back onto the ground and smirked at me; pushing everything I had I stood up and lunged forward.

"Nightsever!" I knocked Kurtis into the air and jumped at him before slicing him along every side and slamming him into the ground as I landed on my feet…I win.

He got back up with a groan and dusted himself off looking undisturbed.

"Not bad."

"…You were holding back!" I said pissed at his actions, "Don't toy with me!"

"I'm ready to get serious, but I don't want to injure the VIP." VIP?

"Ah! Has he fallen in love with me? How sweet." Flonne said as she twisted from side to side like a schoolgirl.

"Where did you get that idea?" Etna asked just giving her a look of disbelief. As we stood there the ground began to shake; I moved to hold Nina as everyone tried to keep their footing. In the sky above I could see a giant ship moving under us and casting its shadow on the entire Stellar Graveyard.

"What is that!?" I asked.

"That's the space battle ship, Gargantua!" Jennifer and Gordon said in unison.

"…Okay, I'm getting sick of this whole two people talking at once thing today. We're as bad as those two!" I pointed to the twins who just shrugged in response.

"We will now begin a full-scale attack with over two million battleships." Kurtis said.

"Two million!?" Nina said in shock.

"Overkill!" Sukia said.

"But, before that…he suddenly dashed forward and grabbed Jennifer before moving back to his original spot, with Jennifer next to him.

"Hey! Let her go!" I yelled.

"You're father awaits you Jennifer. Come with me." Father?

"But I thought Jennifer's parents passed away when she was a child?" Gordon said.

"She is General Carter's foster child." So adoption…seems like a weird thing to find out this late in.

"…I'm sorry, Gordon." Jennifer said with a sad look in her eye, "What Kurtis said is true. I was adopted by General Carter and raised as his child."

"Seems like a nice thing to do for a scumbag." I said openly before Kurtis shot at my feet.

"Quiet you."

"I believed he loved me…but I now know that I was wrong." Jennifer said, "He raised me only so he could use me."

"If you wish to complain then do it in person. My orders were to bring you back safely."

"He wishes to use me again…very well…it doesn't matter anymore."

"Jennifer, wait!" Gordon said, "Don't do this! Search your feelings! You know this isn't right!" Jennifer just looked at Gordon sadly as Kurtis stepped in front of her.

"Gordon, Overlord…boy," He turned to me with a glare, "I'll be waiting for you aboard the Gargantua." With those final words we watched as Kurtis flew off into the sky with Jennifer in his arms. We watched in silence and surprise as they disappeared from our sight and I felt my hands clench into a fist. As I looked up I only had one thought on my mind and I'm sure everyone else was thinking the same thing; we were going to get on that ship no matter what and we were coming back with Jennifer in tow!


	18. Rescue

The castle shook with a thunderous roar as the human space crafts bombarded the Netherworld; they shot at anything that moved and tried to take pot shots at the castle, but to no avail.

"Damnit! Pesky humans!" Laharl yelled as he sat on his throne rapping his fingers.

"I'd resent that statement but I don't care." I said watching the current destruction taking place outside.

"Why would the humans want the Netherworld?" Flonne asked.

"Beats me." Etna replied, "I don't understand how humans think." Feeling a tap on my shoulder I turned around to see everyone had their eyes on me.

"…Fine. Most likely it's just a power move. They want to control the Netherworld because they can and there's nothing else to it."

"Damnit!" Laharl yelled slamming his fist down on the arm rest, "I'm not about to lose my Netherworld to some meddlesome human weaklings!"

"We're back!" I looked at the doorway to see Gordon walking in with Nina and Thursday behind him.

"How'd it go Gordon?"

"Easy, as expected." He replied, "Using Thursday's navigation system, I was able to lock on to the Garagntua's coordinates."

"…You did that?" Sukia asked looking slightly confused.

"Yeah…I have a hard time believing that." I added.

"Well…it seems that Jennifer had already programmed them in." He replied.

"Yeah…that's about right." Etna said.

"She must have expected this to happen if she programmed them in." Nina said.

"Then she must be waiting for us to go rescue her!" Flonne said with fire in her eyes, "Wow, she put a lot of faith in Mister Gordon."

"Why Gordon?" Shifty asked.

"Isn't he the hero?"

"…It makes sense but…" Gemi started.

"It's also very ludicrous." Nini finished.

"Hey! Enough bickering!" Laharl said standing up with a devilish grin, "It's time to show those humans what happens when you pick a fight with an overlord!"

"Yeah! We'll show them!" Flonne cheered in agreement.

"I'm ready for a fight!" Shifty added licking his lips.

"Let's go save Jennifer!" Nina added and the twins nodded.

"…You guys are WAY too pumped for this." Etna said.

"You think maybe it looks that way because you're so cynical." I asked and she shrugged.

"Maybe…but I will admit that this is getting interesting."

We all stepped outside the front of the castle and Laharl took a moment to stretch his arms and legs; as he did that I looked to see various ships focusing in on us, more focused on Laharl than anyone else. Laharl suddenly jumped into the air soaring high into the air and gathering up a ball of energy in his hand. Before the ships could fire their shots Laharl started firing his overlord's wrath at every ship in his sight; while they were being taken out quickly there was a strange lag on Laharl's last shot at a ship before it exploded, in that moment I saw escape pods shoot off from the ships.

"…Huh." When Laharl dropped back down he dusted his hands off, "I see what you did."

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"You gave the humans a chance to escape before blowing up their ships." Nina added.

"Look who has a heart." Sukia teased making Laharl give her and icy glare.

"I just don't want human corpses stinking up my Netherworld." He replied, "Now, let's get up to that ship!" Before we could even move the escape pods crashed all around us before EDF soldiers piled out and pointed their guns at us.

"That…might be kind of tough." Etna said pulling her spear out as we all did the same with our respective weapons.

"Let's just take them out! Laharl can take care of the ships while we round up the escapees!" I explained knocking a soldiers' gun out of his hand and knocking him out, "Remember, don't kill the humans."

"Tch. No fun." Shifty said knocking an entire line down, "But I suppose I can do living."

As Laharl made short work of the two million ship armada we were faring well with the troops it had deployed; with two million ships there were even more soldiers on board with the number reaching the hundred millions. Most of them were just desk hands and gave up easily while others were more resistant and put up a fight…not a great one though. It wasn't easy to find a place to put most of the captured humans and restraining them took most of the castle's staff's help…but only after bribery for most of them.

"Pleinair, here's another group." I said throwing another tied up fiver on her magic circle. She nodded before putting her hand out and making the circle glow; the soldiers began to glow along with it before they vanished completely, "Back at Earth?" She nodded in reply. I took a quick glance around finding the area mostly empty except for the people who were sent to the infirmary for a patch-up before heading back out to fight. This was the first time we've fought so close to home so we were able to keep our forces from going down easily with our infirmary so close. Another explosion went off nearby shocking me and Pleinair. We rushed outside to the courtyard to see a ship had gotten dangerously close to the castle; worst of all it seemed to be charging up a powerful beam to break through the castle. My mind raced with what to do in this situation and I looked over at Pleinair who looked absolutely terrified; what should I do…I need something to stop the blast! My entire body panicked as the blast began to grow in size; we were about to be hit, if I didn't do something everyone could die, me, Shifty, Sukia, the twins, Pleinair…Nina. The blast came at us and I put both my hands out to block it uselessly…but something happened; the blast never came to us. I looked in shock to see a red tear had opened up where my hands were outstretched and the beam was being sucked into it; as I stood there I felt my energy slowly drain as the portal continued to suck up the beam. When the beam stopped I put my hands down and the tear shut closed; I started to pant, exhausted from opening the tear, at least…I think I opened it.

"…You…saved me." She said before moving into hug me, "…Thank you."

"Yeah…I don't know how I did it though." I replied patting her back before she let go. I looked back up at the sky to see Laharl had taken out the ship and the escape pods had landed in front of us, "Come on…let's get 'em."

After a few more hours of taking out the Earth armada we had vanquished the entire two million fleet leaving only the Gargantua left in the sky. Everyone had decided to take a quick break to recharge and recover from the long battle that we had won; Nina and Anna were the most wiped after their job with healing all of the wounded round the clock.

"Alright…that's all of them…" Etna said looking, for the first time since I've known her, exhausted and tired, "…Geez, that was just annoying."

"But…at least we got them all." Flonne said.

"I didn't like that I had to hold back." Shifty said tapping his foot impatiently, "But hopefully the forces on that ship are more of a challenge."

"You need a hobby man." I commented.

"Knitting?" Nini offered.

"I think that would be too slow for him." Sukia said.

"…kendo?" Gemi offered.

"Something non-violent." Nina specified.

"Hmm…war." They both said in unison.

"The card game?" I asked and they nodded, "…Maybe…"

"That's enough." Laharl said standing up, "Come on, we're heading onto that ship." Everyone, including myself, gave a nod and stood up before following him into the portal.

We all stepped onto the helm of the ship and I looked to see the emptiness of space surrounding the ship; in the distance I could see the Netherworld planet from this ship making me wonder just how small it actually was…or maybe it was just distance that made it look small.

"Owen, come on." Nina said catching my attention as we moved up the stairs of the outer walkway of the ship. Before we went up the next set of stairs Gordon stopped us and pointed to a large mounted cannon at the far end of the walkway; it pointed over us before going off and shooting a giant laser over us and making everyone reel from the kick up of energy.

"What the hell?" I said in shock.

"That's the Astro Cannon." Gordon answered, "Doesn't matter if you're an angel or demon, you won't escape that cannon without a scar or flesh wound.

"Great…just what I wanted. Death on a mounted gun."

"Interesting." Laharl said with a chuckle making everyone look at him.

"It might be better to just rush by it." Sukia offered. She had a point, the guns were right up against the wall for the inside of the ship with the door inside not far from where it was mounted.

"…It can't move down." Gemi said catching my attention. I looked at the Astro Cannon to see the domed gun was on a circular platform to help it move three hundred sixty degrees and the cannon barrels had an opening so they could point up but could only go down to the straightened position which went right over us.

"Huh…good job Gemi." I said and he smirked as I pat his head, "Alright, everyone stay below eye level with the cannon and once you're in line to rush at the door go for it and get in. We'll go one at a time to make sure we don't get jammed.

"Won't the cannon start to anticipate us?" Flonne asked and I pointed to the other side where another stairway led up to the door.

"We have two pathways up. If it focuses in on one side then another person can rush up the other side as it tries to readjust." I answered.

"Alright, everyone watch for the position of the cannon and move only when it's not aimed at your side." Laharl said as we split off into two groups. I stayed in the back of the right group and watched the turret scramble wildly to try and catch one of the two sides but with no luck; every time it moved to catch one side they had already bolted for the door. It worked smoothly until it was just me and Laharl who had to rush for the door; Laharl took the plunge and rushed at the door and I followed behind.

"Owen, behind you!" Flonne shouted and I turned to see the gun had its sight set on me and was charging up; damn…guess it caught on to us…I wonder. I stood my ground and held my hand out feeling a massive force of energy well up in my palms.

Time seemed to slow down for a moment as the cannon fired on me and the energy in my palm released, it opened up to a gate completely absorbing the blast before closing; I could still feel the energy of the cannon inside me and pushed my hand out again on instinct. The gate opened again and the blast shot back out colliding with the cannon making it explode into an inferno as I was pushed from the blast impact into the doorway. I fell back into someone and heard a squeal before being shoved to the side.

"Oww…"

"Sorry." Wait…was that Nini's voice? I turned to see Nini sitting next to me.

"Were…were you the one who squealed?" She looked away for a moment and then cleared her throat before walking away, "…You guys heard that right?"

"It was weird." Shifty said.

"They're usually so monotone." Sukia stated.

"Not important." Etna said, "What did you just do there?"

"Yeah, you suddenly obliterated the cannon in an instant!" Flonne said sounding impressed. I looked down at my hand seeing it was slightly trembling from the force it just built up.

"I…can open counter gates?" I replied.

"You don't sound very sure." Sukia said.

"All I know is I opened a gate to absorb the shot like I did with the ship attack and opened the gate back up shooting the blast back out."

"Seems useful." Nina said.

"Seems like cheating." Shifty griped.

"Says the guy who can turn into a dragon." I returned.

"I can't do that…yet." Great…

Gordon seemed to lead the charge as we moved through the ship quickly; I felt like we got lost a few times but with no clear idea where we were headed I couldn't exactly call it getting lost. The enemies onboard weren't human so we were able to clear them out without any problems and keep exploring the place without much worry.

"This place is massive." Nina commented looking around.

"It is called the Gargantua." Gemi said.

"As in gargantuan." Nini finished.

"It's too cold in here." Sukia said wrapping her wings around her body, "The steel is abrasive."

"Yeah…then again I might not know because I'm wearing more than a paper thin outfit." I shot at her.

"I'd rather die in something I like wearing…besides-" She held her hand out and produced a small fire, "-I've got magic." Snapping my fingers I watched as a cold wind blew through her hands extinguishing the flame and making her shiver, "Hey!"

"You're getting better with your magic." Nina praised and I felt my face heat up.

"It's just a simple cold spell."

"You suck!" Sukia spat.

"Not as much as you." I could hear the twins snicker at my comeback and smiled proudly.

"Hmph. You all seem pretty carefree for trespassers." That voice…! Suddenly Kurtis leaped from the shadows and landed directly in front of us.

"Kurtis!" Gordon yelled pulling out his pistol.

"I'm glad you could make it, I knew the security wouldn't stop you."

"And yet you sent it anyway?" I returned.

"I needed to make sure our intruders were worth the effort…after all, my training for the past five years won't be wasted on the weak."

"…Why specifically five years?" Nina asked.

"…It's been that long since my wife and daughter lost their life."

"You had to ask." Laharl grumbled.

"Shh! This is getting good." Flonne said as she held a bowl of popcorn.

"Where did you-"

"Shhhhhh!"

"Whatever…gimme some poprcorn."

"Back then, I was a top scientist," Kurtis continued, "burning with a passion to save the Earth. If it wasn't for that fateful incident…as a result of the explosion in the lab. I lost my family and seventy percent of my body. A group of anti-space development terrorists were to blame."

"Wait…you mean your wife and daughter were victims of that incident?" Gordon asked in shock.

"Yes…and where was the Defender of Earth?" Kurtis spat with a hostile glare at Gordon, "You caught the culprit but what comfort is that when everything is already gone! I swore to my wife and child that since the Defender of Earth couldn't do his job I would take his place! I became a cyborg to do just that." He pulled his sleeve back to reveal a robotic arm, "What good is the Defender of Earth if he can't even save innocent people!? A true defender would do anything in his power to save as many people as possible! I can't accept anything less!" …A hero…saves others…no matter what the cost. That's an undisputable truth…but this seems like overkill, "I will defeat you Gordon, and claim the title of true Defender of Earth! That is the only path left to me!" Gordon gave a heavy sigh before putting his pistol back in its holster.

"So that's it…I never knew you had such a past Kurtis. You're right…it is my fault. Forgive me." Kurtis's eyes narrowed before he shot a round at Gordon.

"Hey!" Nina yelled.

"I don't want your apology Gordon." He stepped forward and put his gun to Gordon's head.

"Stop!" I shouted out by instinct, "Is this what your wife and daughter would want!?"

"What do you know!?" He shot back making me recoil, "You never knew them. So shut up."

"Kurtis." Gordon continued pushing the gun away and standing up, "What you are doing now is not the right way."

"What!? I'm fighting for the sake of humanity!"

"Maybe invading the Netherworld would save the Earth, but it would require many sacrifices. Is that what you want? Is this really for the sake of the Earth?" It felt strange to listen to Gordon speak with such conviction and inner strength; for the time I've known him he's been a bumbling idiot but here…I can definitely tell why he's the Defender of Earth, "You should know best what it feels like to be a victim Kurtis! Do you really want to put others through your pain!?" Kurtis seemed to recoil at this response as Gordon stood proudly, "I am the Defender of Earth! My duty is to face what is wrong! Even if it means that I must face a comrade-in-arms! Here I come comrade! Behold the spirit of a defender!"

We watched in amazement as Gordon and Kurtis traded blows and gun shots in a defender against defender fight that honestly felt like I should have bought a ticket for this fight…and Flonne being decked out with movie snacks made the whole thing more enjoyable.

"Hey…shouldn't we be helping?" I asked through a mouth full of popcorn.

"No! This is the titular confrontation of rivals! If we interfered now it would completely ruin the story!" Flonne explained.

"…Aren't we supposed to be the main characters?" Laharl asked.

"Not for this story."

"Great, we're supporting cast in our own life." Etna griped biting into her chocolate bar.

"At least we're not the villains." Gemi pointed out and we all nodded in agreement. The fight went on until both sides looked almost wiped out to the point of collapsing; both had used the entirety of their ammo meaning they were now forced to bare knuckle fighting with fist against…metal fist. With a resounding punch Gordon sent Kurtis to the ground as he limply collided with the steel floor. Kurtis slowly got back up with chuckle.

"W-Well done Gordon…you've…proven me wrong. Even with my mechanical body…I couldn't stand up to your defender's spirit…your determination."

"That's an actual thing?" I asked and Nina shrugged.

"I lost…now finish me off." Laharl stepped forward with a small ball of fire and a sly grin.

"Okay."

"Laharl!" Flonne yelled making him stop and grumble.

"Hahaha! You're whipped prince." Etna mocked.

"Shut it!"

"Kurtis, our battle has already ended." Gordon said ignoring the spat happening between the three kids, "You tried to do what you thought was best…It's just your sorrow that drove you to do it in the wrong way." Gordon extended his hand out towards Kurtis, "That's why I want you to fight by my side as a comrade…how about it?"

"Can we really trust someone who tried to kill us?" Sukia asked and I groaned.

"We have two cases of that being the case and you're one of them." I pointed out and she chuckled nervously.

"Gordon…" Kurtis said before cracking a smile, "Right now…my body needs to recharge…I must sleep for a while. Be careful of Jennifer." Careful of Jennifer?

"What do you mean?" Nina asked.

"She's been modified."

"Modified?" I thought for a moment on what type of modifications could be made in a place like this and my mind immediately focused on the idea of a skyscraper sized Jennifer robot destroying Tokyo; I took a quick glance at everyone finding a few had the same look of shock on their face while Sukia was chuckling with a sliver of drool forming on her bottom lip.

"All of you, stop thinking crazy things!" Gordon yelled at us making everyone snap back to reality…myself included.

We all stormed forward with Shifty and I blasting through the last wall of troops and knocking open the door into the bridge where Carter was sitting confidently in the captain's seat and giving us a glare.

"We've finally got you cornered Carter!" Gordon yelled, "Now, release Jennifer!" He chuckled before pressing a button on his command board.

"As you wish." He replied making me feel uneasy. I readied myself and looked around finding most of the area unchanged; what did that button do? The twins pointed forward and I looked to see Jennifer walking down the side stairs with a blank look on her face and a dead look in her eyes.

"Jennifer!" Gordon yelled stepping forward to get to her. As a major disappointment to all of us she looked more or less the same; nothing about her body looked remotely different at all…what a rip off.

"Hey." Laharl said.

"Yeah?" Etna asked.

"…That's not what I expected."

"Me neither."

"Hey, you call this modification!?" Flonne yelled at Carter.

"Yeah…really disappointing." Sukia agreed.

"I know right?" I agreed, "If their pulling off something like a two million ship armada you'd expect at least a few giant robots."

"You suck at being a villain." The twins said in unison while pointing at Carter.

"…Boring." Shifty said bluntly looking slightly disappointed.

"Hahahaha! This is more than just a power play. I have installed a neural override device! Now, Jennifer is my puppet."

"Still seems like you could have done more." Laharl said bitterly.

"Yeah, the neural thing is nice and all…but where's your sense of showmanship?" Sukia asked.

"Could have at least hooked her up to a giant robot." I added and Carter was looking annoyed as we picked apart his device…god, I've become the people I hate the most.

"Shut it!" Carter yelled slamming his chair arm, "Jennifer, go destroy Gordon!"

"Hahaha! This is a joke! I, the defender of Earth, could never lose to such a delicate crea-" Before he could finish his sentence Jennifer dashed forward and began sending a flurry of punches into Gordon's chest, face, arms and- ohh…not there…anywhere but there, "Ugghhhh…" Gordon slumped to the ground holding his codpiece as he groaned in pain.

"Jeez you're weak." Etna said bluntly.

"Lay off him…it's rough when a man gets hit there." I said defending him as Gemi and Laharl nodded in agreement and Shifty just looked at his crotch before shrugging.

"Muhahahaha! What do you think of that!?" Carter asked looking proud of himself.

"I think it's a load of crap!" I shouted back, "Using someone that skilled as a puppet is just low!"

"What do you mean?" Gordon asked.

"Jennifer is a master of Kung Fu." Nina said and Gordon looked surprised.

"Did…did you not know that?" I asked and he looked away ashamed; jeez, and I'm the one with the people problems.

"What now?" Gordon asked, "I can't use my full fighting potential against Jennifer."

"You'd lose anyway!" Etna said and the twins snickered.

"How about we blow up the ship?" Laharl suggested.

"Oh no you don't!" Flonne said, "I already claimed it!"

"There's also the whole…not killing Jennifer thing to take into account." I added.

"How pathetic Gordon! Where's that spirit you were bragging about!?" That voice! Suddenly Kurtis came rushing through the door and landed between Jennifer and Gordon.

"Kurtis, you're healed already!?" Gordon asked in shock.

"Your ideals woke my heart up to the ideals I had forgotten about long ago…so stand aside, let me show you MY defender spirit!" Kurtis and Jennifer traded blows with vigor and power from both ends making the Gordon vs. Kurtis fight look like a sad joke.

"Enough!" Carter yelled, "I'll take all of you out, including Jennifer! I included a bomb in the neural override device for just such an occasion. Now die!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" I recoiled as Nina gave a passionate outcry, "How can you treat your daughter like some sort of disposable tool!? You're disgusting!" Nina…

"Like I care what you think. I'll do what I want and nothing you say will stop me!" As he reached to press the button Nina drew her rapier and swung sending a wave of ice that struck Carter sending him flying back out of his seat.

"Woah…how did you do that?" I asked and she just looked at her blade in surprise.

"I…I'm not sure…"

"You forget Carter, I made that device." Kurtis said, "And I know its weakness!" Kurtis put his hands together and a massive power source seemed to gather inside him before suddenly exploding into a bright white light that blinded me. In the distance I could hear Gordon and Kurtis talking before Kurtis suddenly stopped responding. When the light died I looked to see Kurtis lying motionless on the ground and Gordon crouched over him.

"Kurtis…you will forever be known as the thirty eighth defender of Earth."

"Heed my words death." Laharl started, "I command you, in the name of King Laharl, lead the soul of Kurtis, defender of Earth, to his family."

"Prince." Etna said in surprise.

"Laharl." Flonne said sounding proud.

"Don't say a word…As the Overlord of the Netherworld I was just paying homage to a true hero." Laharl replied at which Flonne nodded.

"…I understand." We all turned back to Carter who looked completely surprised by what just happened.

"Father…" Jennifer started standing up.

"Jennifer, you wouldn't attack your own father would you?" Carter said sounding worried.

"…You were never really my father. You only raised me so you could manipulate me. We were never really a family…Carter!" She moved into a battle stance as we all drew our weapons and Carter gripped his fists tightly.

"I've not lost yet! All of you shall die!" I watched in shock as a plethora of bright lights went off all over; when they went out a bunch of people wearing white and yellow clothing with a bright glowing aura surrounding their body.

"What are these?" I asked backing up slightly.

"Angels!?" Flonne said in shock, "Why are angels helping humans!?"

"Seems there's some funny business happening in Celestia." Etna commented as the angels started to pull back their bow strings.

"Angels…" Shifty said darkly as they all shot at us; Shifty swung his arm out extending into a shield which caught all the arrows before he shook them off, "…Let's take them out." We all nodded before rushing forward at the angelic adversaries.

All of the angels were very aggressive in their tactics; most of the time they would be the first to strike while I blocked before countering and cutting them down. Gemi and Nini seemed to handle them easily with Nini keeping them busy while Gemi went in for the finishing blow. Sukia slashed through them easily while Nina's skill with a rapier made her more than a match for their rapier skills while Shifty fought with a ruthlessness that made his enemies slightly worry. The only one who was having any problem in this fight was Flonne who seemed hesitant to even pull her bow string back.

"Flonne, you have to fight!" I said and she looked over at me with a scared look.

"I…I can't do it…I can't fight other angels!" Suddenly an Angel appeared behind her and went for a thrust with their blade.

"Flonne, behind you!" She turned and gasped before jumping back and holding her hand out as an angelic rune appeared and shot a flurry of light arrows at the enemy making them suddenly vanish.

"…No…"

"What's wrong?" I asked moving over to her.

"It's…it's a grave crime for an angel to eliminate another angel." Her look of fear turned to terror and I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay…it was in self-defense, I'm sure it'll be okay." She looked at me before taking a deep breath and calming down. I looked over to see the others had taken out the remaining forces and had turned back to Carter who had moved to the back of the ship.

"Muhahahaha! You may have foiled my plans this time but I'm not through yet!" He slammed his fist against the wall hitting a red button and the floor under him gave out sending him into the floor before closing up. Hearing the sound of a blast I looked out one of the windows to see an escape pod taking off from the ship.

"Damn! He got away." I yelled turning back to the others.

"Kurtis…thank you. I will never forget you." Gordon said laying Kurtis's white jacket over his body, "I swear for both our sakes that I will fight with all my strength for all of humanity…no…for every living creature!"

"I will too Kurtis." Jennifer added, "You saved my life…so I'm going to repay that debt by dedicating it to world peace…and to preventing others from becoming victims like you and your family." We stood there in a moment of silence for Kurtis before I had to cut in with what just happened.

"Guys…there's something bigger going on here. If angels are involved with trying to get rid of the Netherworld then we've got problems."

"That's true." Laharl agreed, "If Celestia is involved this is becoming an even bigger issue."

"…I know what I have to do." Flonne said catching everyone's attention, "…I'm going back to Celestia."


	19. Preperations

We all stood around the throne room with Flonne in the center; she had explained to us that she was going back to Celestia to talk with the Seraph on what's been happening between the humans and the angels. Their interference left us with a lot of questions for the heavenly realm but it seemed like Flonne was the first person to come up with this plan.

"So bottom line is that you're going back to Celestia?" Nina asked and she nodded.

"Alright." I said, "So when are we leaving?" She gave a look of surprise at my statement, "You expect us to just let you do this on your own?"

"What if the angels decide to attack?" Etna asked, "If they tried to take you out, then you wouldn't be able to take them on your own."

"Besides," Laharl started, "I've been meaning to check out Celestia lately."

"Laharl," Sukia said sneaking up behind him, "Why don't you just admit you're worried about Flonne?" Laharl turned beat red at this comment.

"Sh-Shut it!" Flonne giggled at this as her cheeks turned a light pink making me chuckle.

"I'm not about to let a comrade fight their ultimate test alone! We're coming too!" Gordon said dramatically.

"Angels huh…sounds interesting." Shifty said licking his lips.

"…He cares." Nini translated.

"We…think." Gemi added, "But we are also coming."

"Good, you have a strong sense of responsibility." I said and they gave a small smile, "So when are we going?"

"…Thank you everyone."

The date was set, we would leave fully prepared tomorrow morning; we didn't want to go in there halfcocked so Laharl decided we would spend today getting completely ready for the trip to Celestia. He was being more cautious but after what we just went through I couldn't blame him for wanting to make sure everything was prepped for a trip to a place that could possibly destroy us by overwhelming us. On the plus side, because we're getting ready for a big fight the limit on the budget was completely taken away meaning I could outfit everyone with the best equipment and weaponry without any problems.

"Will that be it?" Susan asked and I nodded.

"Unless you can give me something comparable to a nuclear bomb I think that'll be it." I joked and she went into deep thought, "Um…that was a joke."

"Yeah…but I might have something a bit more interesting for you specifically." She said rummaging through her bottom drawer, "…Ah! Here it is!" She got up and dropped a cloth onto the front desk; she unwrapped it to reveal a double-edged blade with a white handle that had wings sprouting from the hilt.

"What is that?" I asked running my hand over the hilt.

"It's some kind of blade that King Krichevskoy found a few years back. He said we should hold onto it but the minute we touched it a shock went through our body. I think it's meant to repel demons…but even with that effect it's very powerful on its own." I picked up the blade and gave it a swing feeling it effortlessly cut through the air as though it had no weight.

"Woah…cool."

"Yeah…ironic that a demon is giving you a blade demons can't use huh?" Is it ironic…eh.

"Why not give this to Flonne?" She gave me a blank look and I thought for a moment, "Right…well why give it to me."

"Well…something feels like the King wanted a human to have it…and you seem like the best one to give it to." That's…flattering.

"..Thanks." I slipped the blade into my sheath and felt lighter with it on me.

"I want it back though." Figures.

"Sure…I'll come back with it." I said sincerely.

Laharl had everyone take a physical so we knew what we could get done tomorrow; even though we weren't turning back until we figured out what was happening. Shifty and I had been paired together to see Anna who was poking us and writing things down…she had a pretty standard procedure.

"Well…you both look healthy and good to go for tomorrow…just don't waste your energy today. That means no sparring practice!" She yelled pointing at Shifty who just grumbled.

"You've been a bit obsessed with that since we've met haven't you." I said.

"Fighting is the only thing that's brought me to my potential to its peak. I'm going to keep fighting until I can figure out everything about myself." He answered.

"And after that?"

"Heh…after that I'll be just fine. Power is what's most recognized in the Netherworld; by the point I'm powerful I'll be set for whatever life I end up having." I couldn't help but chuckle at his casual attitude about the future.

"Sound pretty confident about that."

"Well that's all I can do right now…although the fact that you're just as powerful makes this a bit interesting…so you better stick around until I can take you out." I laughed.

"Yeah…good luck with that. Guess you aren't going anywhere soon huh?"

"Nope!" He replied with a cocky smile.

Once the physical was over I headed over to the summoning room to see how Pleinair was doing; she was kind of blank slated which made me want to keep an eye on her to makes sure she wasn't corrupted…like the twins were. Turning the corner I looked to see Pleinair sitting on the ground with Gemi and Nini in front of her.

"What are you three doing?" I asked slightly worried of the answer.

"…Cute kids." Pleinair said patting Nini's head.

"She's kind of like us." Gemi said, "Just a blank slate."

"I've kind of been wondering why you guys are like that." I said, "You've been around long enough to learn enough to develop a clear personality…why are you guys still so blank?"

"We're…kind of used to it." Nini replied, her cheeks turning a bit pink.

"What are you, RPG protagonists?" Geez, they really need to figure themselves out, "Are you sure that's okay?"

"Well…we have a chance to develop ourselves on our own. We can become who we decide to instead of being condition from birth." Gemi answered.

"Yeah…being a pair of pranksters is totally not conditioned."

"It's fun." They said in unison and I sighed as Pleinair gave a single chuckle.

"Just don't forget the people who teach you what you know…because odds are you're going to be stuck with them for a lot longer."

"…That includes you and Nina?" Nini asked and I thought for a moment.

"…Yeah." I said thinking about it, "As far as I know we're sticking around."

"Good." They said, "Then we'll keep learning from you." Guess that's all I can ask for. As I stepped back to leave the room I was suddenly hit with a water balloon that splattered on the back of my head. Grabbing my head I felt something sticky on my hair and heard dual chuckling and snickering, "Damn it…stop learning form Etna and Sukia!"

I stood in the shower room and scrubbed the back of my hair vigorously trying to get rid of the sticky substance in my hair; whatever it was, it was too resilient and water proof to get rid of.

"Great…what the hell is this?"

"Looks like slime." I jumped at hearing Sukia's voice and turned to see her standing there in a red bikini two piece.

"…What the hell?"

"Hey, I'm not that stupid. Not just anybody gets a look at the goods."

"Calling them goods is being generous."

"Whatever. Anyway, you should try rubbing alcohol."

"You got any?" She held up a bottle and a rag before I turned off the water and she dabbed the cloth with the alcohol before rubbing the back of my head.

"…Hmmm…you aren't getting any ideas are you?"

"You tell me." I shot back with a smirk.

"And that's why you're no fun."

"Maybe not for you."

"Yeah…but for Nina that's a different matter." Nina…

"Mind if I ask what you're whole obsession with her is?"

"Thought you would have figured it out by now." …huh.

"So you're a lesbian?" She giggled at this.

"Bi…but close."

"Interesting…don't go falling for me."

"Please…I already hate you too much for that…but I don't hate Nina…so I guess I should…'tolerate' you."

"Same to you." She pulled away and smacked my back with the wet towel making me shriek at a high pitch, "What the hell!?"

"Ha! That was awesome! You shrieked like a girl!" She ran away as I rubbed the red spot now on my back.

"Damn her…"

I moved to the front of the castle and looked to see Gordon and his crew working on their spaceship; well, Jennifer and Thursday were doing most of the brain work while Gordon carried out the grunt work with putting the ship back together. I moved up and they all turned to look at me before rushing over.

"Owen!" Jennifer said cheerfully making me step back for a second.

"What?" I asked slightly confused by her enthusiasm.

"We've almost got the ship back together and I have an offer for you and Nina." An offer?

"What kind of offer?" Gordon stepped up and put his arm on my shoulder.

"As you know we're headed back to Earth after everything has been cleared up."

"Yeah, I remember your epiphany."

"Well we were wondering if you'd like to come back with us." Jennifer said slightly surprising me; head back…I haven't considered it since our first month here.

"Um…well I…I'm not sure…I haven't thought about Earth for a while now…but I don't think your Earth and our Earth are the same place."

"What do you mean?" Gordon asked.

"Well, where I'm from, the closest we've ever gotten to space travel was our moon. Also there are no defenders of Earth because nothing has invaded our Earth."

"Wait…then are you not an Earthling?"

"NEGATIVE." Thursday said, "HIS READINGS ARE A 98 PERCENT MATCH TO HUMANOID."

"Hmmm…that's odd." Jennifer said going into deep thought, "…Oh well, you're you regardless."

"Y-Yeah…I guess" I replied feeling a bit embarrassed and confused; I'm…me…kind of strange to focus on.

"So what are you going to do then?"

"Um…well…" I was at a loss, I hadn't thought about what I could do with my life after everything was done. I want to protect those I care about but when it's finally done what can I do with the rest of my life…except spend it with Nina, "…Maybe I'll stay around for a bit longer…couldn't hurt to stay as the Overlord's vassal."

"…Well, if that's what you want." Jennifer said and I nodded.

"At least…for now. Until I know what to do." They nodded before getting back to work and I walked back inside the castle…I wonder when I'll figure it out.

"Wait…so you guys landed on the moon?" Gordon asked.

"…Yeah…you guys didn't?"

"Well…ours was staged." Jennifer said surprising me.

"That seems like something you didn't need to fake considering how far you guys are from home."

"It was necessary!" Gordon said proudly.

"One-uping someone is never a good reason!" They all clammed up at this statement…Earth never changes does it?

I wandered the castle for a bit, kind of lost on what to do with the rest of the day; I had finished all my prep work and everyone was starting to turn in for the day…but funny enough I could still hear the favorite trio talking in the throne room. I moved up the stairs and saw Flonne bickering with Laharl as Etna made her usual snarky comment every so often.

"Glad to see things don't change even in tense situations." I said catching their attention.

"What do you want?" Laharl asked looking annoyed at my presence.

"Just thought I'd check in on our commander in charge."

"Well as you can see, nothing is happening." Etna said, "All we can do is wait for tomorrow."

"Shouldn't you guys be getting ready?"

"Tch! I'm already prepared for anything." Laharl said, "As Overlord I always have to be ready for anything!"

"Yeah, it shows when you missed the Prinnys pay day and went hungry for a few days." He shot me his usual glare which I just smirked at.

"Whatever…now Flonne, what are the angels in Celestia like?"

"Well…I'm an angel trainee so I didn't meet most of the higher up angels…but the few I did meet were very devout to the Seraph." She answered.

"Sounds annoying."

"They didn't get where they are by not being committed."

"…Explain." I asked wondering if they were like how I thought.

"Well, they make sure to pray every night and day, talk eloquently and with pride, and work hard for their beliefs."

"Ugh, sounds like a preachy Christian who's even more self-entitled."

"I'm not sure I'd put it exactly like that."

"I would!" Etna chirped in and I chuckled.

"Anything we have to worry about with them?" Laharl asked.

"I don't think so…they're good at using sword, bows and staves but I don't think that's anything too bad."

"Wait, you can use swords?" I asked and she chuckled while looking down.

"Well…I don't have the strength to hold a sword." We all went silent and I could actually hear the gears working in Etna and Laharl's head as they grew wide grins, "W-What?" Suddenly Laharl's scarf swept above Flonne dropping his giant blade onto Flonne who immediately crashed to the ground, "Gah! I…I can't move!" She flailed under the blade's weight unable to move and I strained to hold back my laughter as Laharl and Etna laughed hard enough you'd think they busted their gut. Grabbing the blade I tossed it back to Laharl who absorbed it in his scarf before moving back to a relaxed position in his throne.

"Sorry…it had to be done." Flonne sighed as she got up and dusted herself off. As she dusted her clothes off something fell out of her robe clacking against the ground and landing in front of me. I picked it up and saw it was a portable video camera, "Where did you pick this up?"

"It was on the Gargantua. I found it in the bunks."

"Ah, so you stole it."

"N-No! I found it."

"In a place where people sleep…you stole it Flonne." She pouted and I chuckled before turning it on; it had a VCR tape in the slot but it was unmarked, "What's on this?"

"Nothing, it's a blank tape." Really?

"…Would you mind if I borrowed this?"

"Huh…sure. What do you gonna do with it?"

"Eh…have a little fun with Nina." (Sex tapes sound good but they end badly), "Not that!"

"Ah! Nobody said anything." What…crap, her comebacks are in my head even when she's not here.

I knew exactly where to find Nina; the one place she usually was when she wasn't with the others, the old dead tree in the courtyard. As I approached I cleared my throat to catch her attention and turned the camera on facing it to her as she turned to look at me.

"Huh? Where did you find that?" She asked looking at the camera.

"Flonne gave it to me. She said I could borrow it for a little bit so I thought I would have a little fun." I replied, "Now why don't you introduce yourself?" She giggled in response.

"Alright then. I'm Nina Reist from Earth and I enjoy spending time with Owen, Sukia, Shifty and the twins Gemi and Nini." She moved forward and grabbed the camera from my hands and pointed it at me, "Now it's your turn." I chuckled scratching the back of my head, "Come on…if you do I'll give you a kiss." Now that's some incentive.

"Fine…names Owen Richards. I enjoy adventure, protecting others and spending time with Nina Reist for the rest of my life." Nina laughed at my proclamation and I felt my face heat up.

"A little bold there Owen?"

"What? You don't think-"

"No, I know. Now come over here and sit down with me for a bit. Tomorrow we have to head to Celestia."

"Alright." She turned the camera off and place it next to her as I moved to sit down, "…You really don't mind spending your life with me?" She giggled again and moved her hand over mine.

"I don't see a problem with it at all…I love you Owen."

"I love you too Nina." I replied gripping her hand in mine.

"…But…I want to go home as well." Huh?

"You want to go back to Earth?"

"Yeah…I want to reconnect with my family, just leaving those I know doesn't seem right…but I do want to stay with the others too."

"…Well then we'll find a way to get back and forth between home and here."

"You really think we can?"

"Well…I can open up portals…maybe if I can figure out how to channel them I can open a portal back home." She smiled before leaning in and kissing me on the lips surprising me.

"Thank you Owen…thank you so much."

"Anything for you." We sat there in silence just watching the lava trench spew and bubble; even though it was weird to watch this and enjoy it I was finding it slightly soothing with Nina sitting with me…I wasn't sure why but this felt like the calm before the storm. Our adventure was coming to its climax which meant anything could happen…but no matter what I was going to hold onto this peace with everything I had, and I'll keep fighting just to keep it.

Suddenly Sukia came rushing up the hill with a big grin on her face before looking at us and immediately turning to a look of disappointment.

"Damn it…I expected something spicier." She said kicking to grass making both of us raise our eyebrows.

"What the hell does that mean?" I asked.

"Well, Flonne said you borrowed her camera…I expected a sex tape." I KNEW IT!

"WHAT!?" Nina shouted in pure shock.

"Damn it not that!" I yelled at her. Damn it…I'm slightly proud because I was right about her thought process earlier and slightly disappointed because that means I've been spending too much time around this degenerate.

"Owen…" Nina said looking completely red, "…N-Not this soon…" God damn it.

"Please stop thinking anything she says is true."


	20. Celestia

We stood at the entrance to Celestia in front of a large angelic gate; it was a bright gold color with intricate designs depicting angels to the point I could have sworn I just entered the Vatican Church…or whatever it's called.

"So this is Celestia?" Nina asked looking around, "It's very beautiful."

"The ground is covered in something green." Gemi said as he and Nini touched the grass on the ground.

"And pointy looking." Nini added.

"That's grass." I answered.

"What's grass?" Shifty asked; right, born in a junkyard.

"It's a special plant that can grow here because it's not an inhospitable death valley." Man…venom comes out way too easily.

"Eh…flowers are boring anyway." Etna said shrugging her shoulders.

"No wonder I can never plant my daisies." Flonne said pouting. Our attention turned back to Laharl as he banged against the large door.

'BANG, BANG, BANG!'

"Hey! Let us in!" He shouted to no avail, "…Hey Flonne, how do you open this?"

"The gate was made by an old Seraph to cut off Celestia from the Netherworld." Flonne explained stepping next to Laharl, "That's why it can only be opened by a resident of Celestia."

"Hmph, that's not fair." Etna commented.

"Seriously, who's to say what would happen if demons came in." Sukia added.

"You two would cause enough damage to sink a demons image to the bottom of the sea." I said and they stuck their tongues out at me. Flonne placed her hand on the large gate and took a deep breath before she gave off a quick flash. When she pulled her hand away the gate began to slowly slide open just enough to make an entrance for us.

"Bonjour everyone!" What the- I know that voice!

"Mid-Boss!?" I yelled suddenly as he came into view.

"Aren't only Celestians supposed to be able to get in?" Laharl asked glaring at Flonne who looked absolutely baffled.

"It has been thousands of years since a demon other than moi passed through this gate." Mid-Boss said.

"So that's it! You're a villainous henchman working for the Seraph!" Gordon proclaimed and I scoffed.

"Please, if he's evil than I'm female." I said, "Mid-Boss isn't the type to move to someone elses beat."

"Owen has a point." Nina said, "Our encounters with him have been problematic but he's never been under anyone else's service."

"What keen intellect. How very astute of both of you." Mid-Boss said clapping. Doesn't mean he's not aggravating, "While it may be coincidence for you to meet with me here, that is all it is, just a coincidence." Figures.

"Then can you move?" Laharl asked, "We've got something more important to deal with."

"Ah, while I may be here for my own reasons, that does not mean it has nothing to do with you."

"Then why are you here?"

"To test your resolve." Our resolve?

"What?"

"You are about to face a great challenge unlike any you've faced before. I must make sure that you can withstand the challenges to come." This guy…he's been popping up to mess with us since the beginning but his intentions have always been very unclear. Has…he just been there to test us along our adventures? Who is this guy?

"Why do you care?"

"We have talked long enough. Let me see what you can do!" Everyone drew their weapons and I drew my blade from its sheath pointing it at Mid-Boss.

"It's thirteen against one. You sure you want to fight?" I asked and he thought for a moment.

"While it sounds very interesting to take on a large group; I would prefer to take on you two instead." He pointed at Laharl and I confusing the entire group…but also intriguing me.

"…Alright." I replied shocking everyone.

"Owen…are you sure?" Nina asked and I nodded, "…Okay but be careful." I looked at Laharl and he nodded before everyone stepped back as we moved forward.

"Then let us begin!"

I moved first and took a swing at Mid-Boss as he flipped backwards and reeled back before shooting forward and hitting my shield as I blocked; the force of the punch made my shoes skid across the ground slightly before I stopped to see a dirt track in the ground from where I slid back. Laharl moved past me and slashed at Mid-Boss as he stopped the blade with his hands. Taking the opportunity I moved in and blade rushed through him making him tense as the pain hit him; I turned around and slashed up along his back before making another blade rush through him and stopping in my previous position. Laharl jumped back and made a Crescent slash sending Mid-Boss flying and scrapping across the ground.

"I see you both have become significantly stronger than when I last saw you." He said getting up and cracking his knuckles, "But so have I!" He blipped out before suddenly appearing in front of me and punching me in the gut and sending me flying into the sky. Before I could even do anything I felt another force hit my back sending me crashing into the ground. I could hear another punch before another crash and slowly got up, "You're going to have to do better than that to take on the dark Adonis." Damnit…getting up I rushed forward and swirled around Mid-Boss creating an updraft that sent him flying into the air before I leaped up and slammed my sword into his chest making him crash against the ground before I moved to stab him as I fell down. He rolled back up and moved as my blade stuck into the ground; I quickly pulled the blade out and swung at Mid-Boss making him step back before Laharl suddenly slashed at his back making him grunt before I stepped forward and hit his stomach with my foot making him fall to his back. He quickly recovered and turned to Laharl before unleashing a flurry of punches across his entire body and making him fly back. I tried to move in but Mid-Boss quickly swung around and hit me with a roundhouse kick making me soar into Laharl on the end of the kick.

"Damn…he can take a lot of hits." I said getting up and helping Laharl up as he growled.

"Then let's hit him hard!" Laharl raised his hand to the sky and his Overlord's Wrath began to gather in his hand before he shot it at Mid-Boss who moved to block with his arms. When the energy exploded I moved forward with Laharl as we readied our combined attack. I stopped and held my blade to the sky feeling the energy well up as a stack of rings appeared.

"Dimension Slash!" I swung down going through the rings as they shattered and built up energy in my blade before hitting Mid-Boss and exploding making me fly back.

"Dimension Slash!" Laharl yelled before another shattering sound followed by an explosion sent Laharl flying back next to me. When the smoke cleared I was surprised to find Mid-Boss crouched on the ground and trembling slightly.

"N-Not bad…your teamwork is impressive. I commend you for having come so far."

"Really?" I asked, "If you wanted to test our teamwork why not fight all of us?"

"A team is only as strong as the one who leads them. Your ability to work together even as both of you are leaders shows commendable trust in each other."

"If you say so…" Laharl said sounding unimpressed.

"Demons, angels, humans…rather than learn about each other, they use words such as 'good' and 'evil' to differentiate themselves. Yet here I saw a human and demon work side by side in such a sleek manner. That level of trust shows how unified the entire group is. So as long as you stay together, I am sure you can overcome any ordeal." Mid-Bos-…Vyres…, "Farewell! Haaaaahahahaha!" Going back to his usual carefree mode he walked out of the entrance to Celestia as it closed behind him.

"…So what was that about?" Lahar asked looking confused.

"I'm…not entirely sure…but we won right?" I said and he shrugged.

"Maybe he was trying to encourage us?" Nina offered.

"That has to be the most confusing demon ever." Sukia said.

"An interesting man none the less though." Gordon said nodding.

"A true rival." Jennifer added.

"I would have liked to challenge him myself." Shifty said.

"Weird demon." Gemi said.

"Very profound." Nini added.

"I think everyone went off on their own tangent about him." I commented as Laharl sighed.

"Let's just keep moving."

We passed through Celestia encountering Celestial Envoys who all attempted to eliminate us with everything they had; they were more focused on eliminating Flonne out of all of us but they still couldn't touch us.

"Is this really all these angels can muster?" Shifty asked sounding pissed, "They're barely stronger than those robots.

"Then take 'em out as quick as you can." I said and he grinned before sprouting wings and dashing through the Celestial Envoys taking them out swiftly, "Next Challenge?" I chuckled at his cockiness as we all regrouped.

"So who's giving the orders?" I asked.

"Some guy named Vulcanus." Etna said.

"He's apparently the big cheese who wants Flonne dead." Sukia added, "Apparently he's an Archangel. I wonder how handsome he is."

"Is this the time for that?" I asked surprised at her commitment.

"Let me dream you cynic!" She hissed at me.

"So you've made it Flonne." A deep voice said.

"Vulcanus!" Flonne said looking aver at the top of a nearby stairway. Before I could look over Sukia pushed me out of the way with a big smile on her face. When I looked back to her she had gone from joyous expectancy to pure disappointment and when I looked I couldn't blame her sudden mood shift from seeing this guy. He looked like the guy someone hired to intimidate a group of thugs…and his face would do just that…yeesh. His face had a permanent scowl that was only further intensified by his mustache and monk cap.

"That's Vulcanus!?" I asked, "He's an angel!?"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Jennifer said.

"I'm slightly scared." Nina said scooting back.

"Evil man." The twins said in unison.

"Silence! You dare look at my angelic face and call me a villain!?" He shouted back.

"Angelic is the last word I'd use in this situation." I retorted making shoot me a nasty glare before giving a look of surprise.

"Of course you jumpers had to stick your noses in this didn't you?" What? Jumpers?

"What does he mean?" I asked Nina and she shrugged.

"No matter. Angel Trainee Flonne! To conspire with demons to wage war on Celestia is an unspeakable sin! Not only that, but you've harmed innocent angels! You deserve nothing short of death!"

"Lay off her you ghoulish nightmare!" I yelled.

"Don't make such wild accusations of our friends!" Nina joined in.

"Lay down you interlopers! Go back to your own world!" He shouted at us, "All you jumpers do is cause problems!"

"Jumpers?" Laharl asked.

"Flonne, you have coincided with those who ruin worlds! Demons who are the root of all evil and weak humans who we are sworn to protect! You are a traitor in every sense of the word." Hearing a growl I looked to see Laharl clutching his fists and grinding his teeth.

"Hey! Who the hell do you think you are!?"

"Laharl, please let me handle this." Flonne said and he took a breath before stepping back, "Master Vulcanus, I pity you."

"W-What?" Vulcanus said taking a step back.

"You assume all demons are evil and that all humans are weak, and I'm not sure why you called my friends ruiners of worlds but they have done nothing except assist us in what we needed. You assume only yourself to be right and by blindly following these beliefs you have been clouded by your own prejudice. The evil you see only exists within your own heart!" Ouch…that's a nasty burn.

"How dare you! You vile little spawn! I am only doing what is right…and I shall prove it…with your death!" He shot his hand forward and a group of ten to fifteen Celestial Envoys appreared from flashes of bright light. As we all drew our weapons I watched as Valcanus disappeared leaving us to fight his underlings.

Sheathing my blade I took a quick breath and looked around satisfied at our victory; everyone else seemed ready to keep moving except for Laharl who seemed deep in thought aver something.

"Something wrong?" I asked catching his attention.

"I was just surprised that we haven't seen the Seraph at all with how far we've come."

"Yeah." Etna said, "If he's not involved in this then why hasn't he come to rescue Flonne?"

"…I get what you guys are saying." Flonne said, "But I trust the Seraph. I have faith in him!" Really? Even after everything that's pointed to his guilt…she's dedicated, I'll give her that…but I'm not one to talk I guess.

"Geez, you're stubborn." Laharl said with a sigh, "Don't tell me it's because of love again."

"Yes! To have faith in someone you respect is a form of love! And I'll have faith in the Seraph until the very end."

"Well…I don't know the guy personally but I don't mind tagging along for a bit longer." Etna said.

"I'd like to see the man for myself." Sukia added, "I'm sure he's got to look better than Vulcanus."

"I wonder if you can hear yourself sometimes." I said.

"It's just her way of saying she's going to help out Flonne to the end." Nina explained, "And so will I."

"Well then I'm helping out too." Nina giggled at this.

"You'd help out anyway for a friend." This girl knows me too well…I love it.

"We'll help as well." The twins said, "…We don't want to abandon our friends." …They're learning good things.

"Plenty of trouble along the way means enough enemies to keep me tagging with you guys." Shifty added making me chuckle.

"We believe in you Flonne." Jennifer said, "We're accompanying you all the way."

"We trust in your love!" Gordon added.

"BLIP BEEP BLIP I WILL ACCOMPANY YOU." Thursday said. Everyone turned to Laharl who just gave us a cold look.

"What are you all looking at me for!? I'm not going anywhere until I see the Seraph!" Flonne giggled and stepped forward embracing Laharl in a hug.

"Thank you Laharl."

"G-Get off me love freak!" He didn't struggle which made everyone laugh.

Once the moment had passed we continued through the grounds until we came to a shrub archway that led into a courtyard area with a fountain in the center; standing in front of that fountain was Vulcanus who gave us a scowl.

"I should have expected you to make it this far…not bad at all."

"Careful everyone! Whenever a villain appears and talks like this, there's always a trap!" Gordon explained making everyone reach for their weapons.

"I am not a villain! Hmph, this will keep your filthy mouth shut!" He raised his hand as a magic circle appeared under him, "Evil born form the darkness of chaos! Abide by the pact and annihilate my foes!"

"That's demon summoning!" Laharl said in shock.

"How can that be!?" Flonne asked looking more angry than surprised, "Making a pact with demons is strictly against our laws."

"How the hell does that prove he's not the villain!?" I asked honestly confused by his actions. Out of thin air a group of demons appeared in front of us. I felt my legs tremble from the sheer power they exuded and would have fallen to my knees had Nina not helped me stay standing, "Damn…I can feel their power and it's overwhelming." I felt a sense of worry fill my mind and quickly moved in front of Nina afraid for her safety.

"Enjoy fighting your own kind." Vulcanus said before disappearing and leaving us with his summoned goons.

"Damnit! Even I can't take care of this many greater demons!" Laharl said stepping back. I looked at Shifty who seemed eager to pick a fight but stayed glued in his spot.

"I want to jump them but my legs won't let me."

"That's probably a good thing." Sukia said stepping next to me and guarding Nina as I was.

"Should we run?" Nini asked.

"We can't face them like this." Gemi added. He had a point. We've been going full throttle for a while but it would take most of our energy to take out these guys…then we wouldn't be able to take on Vulcanus…or god forbid the Seraph.

"I don't recall having friends who lose their cool in front of their adversaries!" Huh? Who said that? We all turned to see a green prinny standing triumphantly at the archway.

"…Who the heck is that?" Laharl asked.

"Yeah, I don't recognize him either." I added.

"Do we even know any green prinnies?" Sukia asked and Nina shrugged.

"How could you forget me? These eyes full of hope and resolution! The spirit that burns within me! And this bolds and valiant stature!" …I…I got nothing.

"…Did I kill you a few months back?" Shifty asked and the prinny sighed.

"It is I Kurtis!" Ooooohhhhhh…really!?

"Come on! We sent your soul to be with your family! What the hell!?" I yelled.

"I had committed too many sins in my life so they sent me to pay for my sins." He leaped forward and stood in front of us taking a battle stance that looked…just ridiculous. Everyone was snickering and laughing as he stood there.

"Dude…just no…no."

"Please stop laughing. I'm trying to help out."

"Then don't be so adorable." Sukia said pinching his fur affectionately.

"Stop that!" Kurtis flapped his flippers to wade her off as she moved back over to us, "I came to help and this is what I get?"

"You expected more?" I asked in condescendence.

"…I suppose not…but I'm still going to help out! You guys keep going while I handle these guys!"

"I won't do that Kurtis!" Gordon said as he and his group moved next to Kurtis. We will stand by your side and fight these demons with you!"

"Thank you Gordon. Let us fight together!" They all moved in and entered combat with the demons as the rest of us stood there.

"Let's get moving while they fight." I said moving forward.

"Wait!" Nina said stopping me, "What about them?"

"They're holding them here so we can keep moving. We have to take this opportunity to move ahead." Everyone gave each other a look of worry before turning and nodding to me, "Good, let's keep going." Before I could take another step I felt my eyelids grow heavy before I collapsed to the ground falling unconscious.

When I opened my eyes I found myself in a pure white room. I looked around but only found a chair with a green haired girl sitting and looking directly at me.

"Hello Owen."

"What the-…where am I?"

"Well…where you are isn't important…but you are here for a reason."

"Then why am I here?"

"Because your adventure is nearing its end…and you deserve an explanation."


	21. Where the begining ends

I stood there looking at this woman in front of me; she had a very serious look on her face as she stared at me. I wasn't sure what was happening but she wanted to talk to me…at the worst time too.

"Alright then…talk." I said bluntly.

"Please sit down."

"No, you decided to interrupt me while I was busy so talk now and be quick about it."

"…I can talk…not sure about quickly."

"Hurry."

"Well then…I'll start with an obvious…I'm talking to you right now because I'm the one who brought you to this world." So she's our captor…

"And?"

"Huh?"

"You tell me that but why bother unless you have something important to say. This information is useless in the long run."

"You don't want answers?"

"I have someone I want to protect. In the long run I could care less about why I'm here as long as I can protect her…so unless you have something interesting to say, send me back NOW."

"…Alright then…I'm sorry I sucked her into this." What?

"Explain."

"It was only supposed to be you…but you jumped for her at the last second…so I'm sorry."

"…Don't be…I'm glad I jumped for her…and I'd do a hundred times over." I heard a giggle as the room faded away as my vision became white.

"You know…I'm glad to hear that…she surprised me…as did you."

I heard Nina calling my name and opened my eyes to see everyone crowded around me with worried looks on their faces.

"Owen! You're okay!" Nina threw her arms around me and embraced me tightly.

"You suddenly collapsed out of nowhere. You freaked us out." Sukia said as I got back up. We were still in the courtyard but the battle was over and everyone was still together.

"…How long was I out?" I asked.

"Only about ten minutes." Kurtis answered, "We managed to take them out in that time."

"Well…there goes our chance to chase Vulcanus."

"Probably for the best." Flonne said, "The next area isn't a place even I could stroll through. Only archangels and the Seraph are allowed in the next area."

"Which means the next area is swarming with guys who can kill us easily." Gordon said.

"PROBABILITY OF DEATH…NINETY-NINE PERCENT." Thursday said.

"Uplifting." I said.

"I like those odds." Shifty said with a grin.

"Let's get moving then." Laharl said getting everyone back on track. As we walked forward I looked over at Nina and thought back to what that green haired girl said…she wasn't supposed to be here…and yet I wouldn't want her anywhere else right now.

We entered the main complex finding it very ornate…and yet humbling in its appearance, the stone work was well taken care of and still solid…leave it to Celestia to keep everything in perfect condition.

"Stop." A voice said making all of us turn to the stairs which had two envoys standing there holding spears.

"You are entering an area restricted by the Seraph himself. We cannot allow you to continue." I moved to draw my blade but Nina stopped me as Flonne stepped forward.

"I need to speak with the Seraph; it's very important."

"No one may enter." Except Vulcanus, this was the only way for him to go. One of the envoys threw their spear at Flonne as she tried to move forward and Laharl quickly pulled her back as the spear stuck into the pavement before disappearing and reappearing in the envoy's hands.

"I don't think they're going to let us through." Laharl said. Before anyone could catch him, Shifty jumped over everyone and took a strike at the envoys. When he swung a barrier appeared stopping his blade arm and sending him flying back into me.

"Dude!"

"No fair!" He shouted, "You can't block my attack without moving!"

"They're using an invincible barrier." Flonne said.

"That's cheating." Sukia said with a pout, "Where did they get something like that?"

"They're angels." Gemi said.

"Probably a divine blessing." Nini said making Sukia pout.

"Regardless we should be able to take it out." Nina said, "Every shield has a blind spot, no matter how invincible." Right…but it seems like it's a full body guard.

"…It must have a strength limiter." Etna said, "Enough force should shatter that barrier to pieces." So we have to hit it with all our force.

"Alright then…what's the plan?" I turned to Laharl and he thought for a moment.

"Gordon, Jennifer, Flonne; I want you three to charge up your shots. When I say now, shoot full force. Etna, Owen, Shifty, Nina; form up and attack all at once on my mark. Twins, Thursday, and Kurtis, you three are with me. We're going to attack as quickly as we can and put as much strain as we can on those barriers." I nodded before pulling out my sword and gripping it with both hands. Everyone else got into position as the envoys moved to defend themselves, "…Now!" Gordon, Jennifer and Flonne shot at them making it pop up, "Let's go!" Laharl slammed against the barriers followed by the twins doing a dual hit and Thursday knocking into it full force with his body as Kurtis soared into it with his kick, "Mark!" Etna moved forward first stabbing at the barrier as Shifty followed up striking with both his arms, Nina moved in and stabbed with her rapier and I moved in gripping my blade tightly and swinging it like a baseball bat against the barrier. My blow collided with the barrier stopping and I watched as a crack appeared on it before a hole opened up causing the whole thing to shatter to pieces.

"What!?" They said in shock as I took the opportunity and made a full spin striking both of them and taking them out on the spot.

"We did it!" Sukia cheered. I took a breath and looked at my blade to see a faint glow appear on it; seems this blade is absorbing the angels' energy…at least that's the feeling I'm getting. I sheathed it and looked at the others to find them boasting and enjoying our combined ability to take out that shield; it definitely wasn't the easiest to take out. I looked over to see more envoys coming at us…time to see how much power I can gather.

By the end of the attack my sword was giving off a healthy glow that drew the others to look at it; after ten to fifteen of the envoys I could definitely feel a strong power resonating off the blade and it seems everyone else could notice too.

"Hey…isn't that the sword the weapon company has been hanging on to that demons can't use?" Laharl asked.

"Yeah, she loaned it to me for some reason…didn't know it could absorb energy." I replied sheathing the blade.

"Why did she loan it to you?" Etna asked.

"Well, Owen is human." Gemi said.

"And he has the most experience with a sword." Nini added.

"Still could have gone to Nina." Sukia said.

"Cheap shot." I threw back, "Still…it has power but I don't know how to use it."

"Hmmm…try focusing." Nina said and I took a moment to focus on the blade. I closed my eyes and felt a tingle move up my spine. I took a quick swing behind me and watched as a powerful wave erupted from the blade and struck a pillar making it crumble apart instantly.

"Woah!" Everyone said. I looked down at the blade and saw the glow disappear until it was just back to a normal blade.

"So that's what it can do…cool." Etna said as I sighed and sheathed the blade.

"She gave it to me this late in? That power is pretty useless since we're near the end." I said bitterly. Seriously, she couldn't have given this to me a few months back or even before we took on the human armada?

"Um, guys?" I turned to see Flonne waiting for us at the top of the stairs.

"Right…sorry, we got a bit distracted."

"Only because you never told us about that thing." Etna said as Sukia snickered.

"It's a piece of metal with the ability to absorb!" I shot back, "We're fighting Vulcanus next! This information is useless!"

"Owen, they're just trying to rile you up." Nina said and I cleared my throat before going silent.

"…We win." Sukia said as she and Etna high-fived.

As soon as we turned the next corner I saw Vulcanus waiting for us at the end of the hallway; as we approached him he gave a deep chuckle that sent goosebumps up my spine making me immediately put my hand on my blade.

"Master Vulcanus…" Flonne said stepping forward.

"Because you were a trainee, I underestimated you." Vulcanus said, "But now that you've defeated greater demons, as well as angelic sentries…I must recognize your strength." About time.

"So are you going to let us pass?" I asked and he shot another glare at me.

"You two are inconsequential to this matter. The fact that you stand here is just a testament to your people's insistence on meddling on where you don't belong."

"What do you mean by that?" Nina asked.

"You two may be humans but I can sense something inside of you. Then that one-" He pointed to me, "opened a tear in the sky to absorb the humans' cannon fire…then I realized what you two are, jumpers. Movers between dimensions…I've encountered your kind before. All of you are despicable, appearing where you aren't wanted and causing more trouble than before."

"What are you talking about!?" I yelled, "What have we done for you to throw slander at us!?"

"Yeah! Leave them alone!" Sukia shouted, "Only I'm allowed to make fun of Owen and no one is insulting Nina!"

"While I admit that he's a tough adversary I'm still glad to know him." Shifty said with a smirk before shooting daggers at Vulcanus, "So don't throw insults at him or his chick!"

"No one is saying that to our friends!" The twins added.

"Worthless scum! All you ever do is cause problems…just like with my ascent to Seraph. But I plan to remedy that issue now!" He shot a blast at Nina and I quickly pulled out my blade to absorb it; when I had absorbed the full blast I sheathed the blade quickly.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" I screamed before swinging my blade and sending his own power back at him.

"Gah! How dare you do that to me, know your place!"

"Shut it!" I yelled, "You try to hurt Nina and I'll kill you on the spot, so back off NOW!" I'm not sure if it was the force of my voice or my stance but Vulcanus…along with my friends, all took a step away from me.

"Hmph, whatever. I'll take you out right here, and then I shall take out the Seraph. Then I shall be the supreme ruler of the Netherworld, Humans and Angels!" His wings extended out as he lifted into the air. Everyone drew their weapons as he readied his next blast; time for the big fight!

He shot various blasts of angelic energy at us as we dodged and weaved through them. Gordon, Jennifer, Thursday, Flonne and Etna worked on shooting him down while Sukia and Shifty were the only ones who could actually reach him. The twins could leap off each other's shoulders and get a quick hit in but it still took a bit of setup before they were able to do anything. Nina could blast him with her magic and Kurtis was a master acrobatic while Laharl could blast him with his Overlord's Wrath leaving me to figure something out on my own. All I could do was stand around and wait for them…maybe I could absorb his blasts and send them back at him! I moved over and threw a stone at him making him look at me before sending a blast my way; I absorbed it and swung sending it back and making him fall to the ground.

"Group attack, now!" I shouted making Sukia, the twins, Shifty and Nina all move to attack Vulcanus with me all at once. With a combined hit he was sent flying and slammed against a far wall.

"You brats, I will not lose here!" Out of his robe he pulled out an angelic blade and came straight at me; I blocked with my shield and pushed him back before doing a full spin which he blocked with his blade before trying to retaliate. I pushed his blade to the side with my shield and thrust catching his side and tearing his clothes slightly, "I will not lose to a jumper!" I blocked his strike with my shield and pushed forward clocking him in the face with my shield before stabbing him in the chest.

"Jumper or not, I WON'T LET YOU HURT HER!" His eyes went wide before he fell to his knees clutching his open wound; he didn't bleed but the mark where I hit was still present on his body.

"You…can't be…serious…I lost…to you?" He gave me a grimace before slumping to the ground lifelessly.

"Regardless of his ambition…he didn't have the strength to back it up." I said sheathing my blade…it didn't absorb his energy from his defeat…weird.

"I guess all that's left is to meet the Seraph." Laharl said.

"You ready Flonne?" Nina asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready." As everyone moved forward I looked back at Vulcanus and thought for a moment…it feels like it isn't over yet…like there's still another battle ahead of us.

"…I'm sure I'm just being paranoid." I said to myself before catching up to the group.

At the end of the stairs we were in a large room that had an alter at the end of it; on that alter was a man with long silver hair and wearing an angelic robe. When he turned to us he gave us a gentle smile.

"So this is the Seraph?" Nina asked.

"Yes, this is Master Lamington." Flonne answered.

"Hello Flonne, it is good to see you again. Who are you friends?" Laharl stepped forward.

"I am Laharl, King of the Netherworld!" He said.

"So you are the son of King Krichevskoy…"

"You knew the late king?" Sukia asked and he nodded.

"And…" HE turned to me and Nina, "It has been a long time since I have met Travelers." Travelers now?

"…"

"Now Flonne, what brings you here?"

"I have a question." She said.

"A question?"

"Yes, a few days ago, the Earth Defense Force led an invasion of the Netherworld. We were fortunate enough to stop it but I had learned that angels were involved in the invasion. Master Lamington, did you have any knowledge of these events? And if so, did you lead it!?" She sounded desperate as she spoke, as though she was asking for him to be innocent.

"…Are you sure they were angels…have the demons not clouded your mind?" Lamington asked…but his voice held no sign of judgment or even blame…what was he trying to do?

"I am positive those were angels! And while it is true that demons are aggressive by nature, they do not harm others without a reason. My friends have convinced me of that." He chuckled at her statement.

"This is quite unusual Flonne. You, a celestian, refer to demons as friends, and defend their behavior?"

"So what is she's a celestian?" Nina asked, "That doesn't stop those who connect from becoming friends, race isn't an issue in this matter."

"…Very true…I had learned that myself many years ago…"

"Master Lamington," Flonne continued, "at your request, I went to the Netherworld, and there I met Laharl and my other friends. While they can be rather rude and cynical I have found love and kindness as well. I remember that you were the one who told me that even demons have love, that there is no such thing as absolute evil. As I spent time in the Netherworld, I came to realize that you were right. I also have come to realize that we celestians judge demons and humans too harshly."

"Double for Vulcanus." I interjected.

"Flonne, you have learned much in the Netherworld. It is true that Celestians have been blinded by their own prejudices. Instead of trying to learn more about them, they instead decided to label demons as 'evil' without finding out for themselves whether it was true or not. Vulcanus's actions were the results of such misconceptions, and his concern for the future. I should have been more mindful of these things."

"Wait…does that mean-" I started before he continued over me.

"I was well informed of all that has transpired."

"And…you did nothing?" I asked feeling my anger boil up, "You sat on the sidelines while others suffered!? What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"Owen…" Nina said.

"You've got some nerve to think you can just do nothing while others suffer like this!"

"OWEN!" I stopped as Nina's voice rang in my ear, "…Sometimes…sometimes you can't do anything about it…even if you want to."

"B-But…" I clamed up right there…I never want to just be able to do nothing…

"…Angel Trainee Flonne. You have helped save the Netherworld from the invasion of the Earth Defense Force and thwarted the plans of Archangel Vulcanus. However, the fact remains that you have harmed other angels. You are to be punished for your sin." What!?

"…I understand. I am prepared to accept my punishment." Flonne said shocking everybody.

"N-No!" Laharl said.

"Don't you dare harm one hair on her head!" Etna yelled, "You'll be sorry if you do!"

"She shouldn't be punished! She was only doing what was right!" Gordon added.

"It's alright…" Flonne said stopping our outbursts, "I knew there would be consequences for my actions."

"That still doesn't mean you should be punished for doing what was right!" I said, "This is unjust!"

"Flonne…" Laharl said weakly.

"Master Lamington, I have one final request. I beg of oyu to forgive my companions. It is I who drew them into this." Now she's shouldering all of the blame!? This can't be happening…what's happening to me!?

"UGH!" I dropped to my knees and clutched my chest.

"Owen!" Nina said crouching to help me up.

"I'm fine…I think." Getting up I looked to see Laharl trying desperately to convince the Seraph.

"…Very well. I shall pardon their sins…except for one." What? He pointed to me.

"M-Me?"

"While I may overlook the others, I cannot overlook what you have done."

"What do you mean what he's done?" Shifty asked and I felt my reaper mark burn.

"He has struck down an emissary of death and brought judgment to an Archangel by his own hands. These sins cannot be overlooked…as they mark his very being." I quickly took of my shirt and looked to see a bright mark next to the reapers mark, "These are not sins to be easily forgotten."

"No!" Sukia yelled, "He got those protecting Nina, if he has to pay for them then so do I!"

"Us too!" The twins yelled, "You can't bring judgment on those who protect."

"I'm not giving up my challenge that easily!" Shifty said, "I'd rather go down with him in that case!" Guys…

"…No, I'll face my sins." I said stepping next to Flonne, "Because the fact is…I'd get them all over again to protect her." I looked over to see a shocked look on Nina's face.

"No…No! You can't take them both from us!" Jennifer yelled.

"Are you trying to tear us apart!?" Etna screamed, "This isn't fair!"

"…Are you two ready?" Flonne and I nodded.

"No!" Laharl yelled, "I won't let you!"

"Owen…please…no!" Nina said and we turned to them.

"I…I'm sorry I won't be there to help you face your parents…and I'm sorry it came to this." Reaching into my pocket I pulled out the heart locket Sukia gave me, "Take this…and don't forget me."

"Laharl…I know you'll be a magnificent overlord." Flonne said putting the angelic pendant in his hand. Suddenly I felt a warm light envelop me…so this is what the end feels like…it's nice.

"NO!" Suddenly I felt my body pushed out of the way and looked to see Nina taking my place.

"What!? NO!"

"Owen…you've saved me more times than I can count…now it's my turn…thank you for everything."

"Wait…NO…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The light enveloped both of them and I felt everything shatter in an instant.

…

"It is done…both Angel Trainee Flonne and Nine Reist's existences have been erased along with their sins." …The marks on my chest are gone…

"King Laharl…Owen Richards…do you despise me?" …My mind couldn't function…everything was blank…the only thing I could hear was the sound of Laharl screaming and all I could see…was the purple Lilac that was Nina…she's gone…she's…gone…no…NO…

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Everything was black…all I could hear was the cold wind blowing…when I opened my eyes I was shocked to find I was no longer in the Seraph's chamber. Laharl and the others were no longer with me…but I still had Sukia, the twins and Shifty still around me; all looking equally disoriented. The last thing I remember is…Nina.

"Tch! Damn it!" I slammed my fist into the ground, "She had to pay for my mistakes…this isn't fair! What kind of god would allow this to happen!?"

"Owen…where are we?" Sukia asked.

"I don't know…but it seems like everything was taken out…except us." I looked around at the empty land; nothing was left…nothing at all…had my rage destroyed this place…if I have that power then maybe…maybe I can…, "Come on." I said to everyone.

"Where are we going?" Sukia asked as I opened up a tear.

"We're going to bring Nina back…by any means possible." Everyone gave shocked gasps, "Now either follow me or get out of the way…which is it?" They all looked at each other before nodding.

"We're following you."

"Good." As we all stepped through the portal I was confident I would bring Nina back…I WILL bring her back to me…and NOTHING is going to stop me!


End file.
